Wolf's Bane
by Avonnalay-Ariemay
Summary: Complete. What if Lupin wasn't the only wolf at Hogwarts during the Marauder's years? What if the Wolfsbane potion wasn't as much of a recent discovery as let on in PoA? A tale of Remus finding love, then losing her to Voldemort's uprising.
1. Default Chapter

_Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was. Only character I own is Sable. _

_(A/N) Hi everyone. NOTE: I began this story before OotP came out, and I intend to keep writing it as though I had never read the book. Now, on with the story._

_-_

_Memories of a Time Forgotten_

Sabriel threw her robes back as she tied a small box to the leg of a great horned owl that was sitting on the window ledge. The owl nipped playfully at her hands before flying off into the velvet night sky, the package swaying slightly in the air with every powerful beat of its wings.Sabriel, or Sable as she was known, sighed and watched the creature fly eastward until it was finally out of sight. She closed the window to the room with a snap and sat down at a nearby desk, moving roles of parchment and various notebooks around before they became unlegible.

All around her, cauldrons were filled with various bubbling concoctions, each one a different color and consistency, and for different uses. The room smelled more like a medicinal hall overflowing with too many heal-all potions than an extension to a small bedroom-turned-potions lab.

She adjusted the candle on the desk and deftly gathered all of her parchments in herhands, her violet eyes being shaded by her, jet black hair. She opened a nearby ledger and began writing more notes about the amount, type, concentration, and date of the potion she'd sent to Remus.. _'I hope he'll be alright.'_

_-_

James Potter glanced up when he heard an insistent tapping on the near window above his head. He had been playing a game of Exploding Snap withhis best friend SiriusBlack when the noise had interrupted them right before Sirius' eyebrows were going to be signed. The three other occupants of the room turned around to face the incoming owl, quite surprised to be recieving a letter from anyone that late in the summer. James opened the window and let the owl in with a burst of warm summer air, and Remus rose from his spot on the carpet and held out his hand to the creature, knowing full well what the package contained, and who it was from.

"Is it already time for that again?" Sirius asked with a grimace. Remus shook his head and untangled the owl from its load, then giving the creature a treat before perching him on a shelf near James' own fluffy feathered friend. His hands shook as he opened the small gray box. Inside lay a vile of dark blue potion. It swirled as he tilted the bottle, causing the liquid to change to a violent purple. He shut the box and opened up the attached letter. He read it out loud to the group of boys in the spacious bedroom.

Dear Marauders,

I hope you are all doing well. Since summer break is almost over for me, I'll try to stay in touch a little more often. My research keeps me busy for the majority of the time.. But I do wish I could see all of you guys again. Salem is nothing like Hogwarts! The only good thing about the States is I can do magic during the summer. This makes it easier to do my experiments. Well, I've got to leave you now, my parents are taking me out for my birthday.

Bye,

Sable

P.S. You know what to do with the vile.

P.S.S. Send Lily my regards, since I haven't heard from her in a while.

Peter took the letter and read it to himself. "Short, concise, and to the point. That's Sable alright." he said glumly, handing the letter back to Remus.

"Exactly how many more days do we have until the full moon?" Sirius asked, glancing over at an enchanted calender on the wall.

"The next one is the day after we go back to school, September 2nd." Remus replied. He packed the letter away and put the vial in a safe place, not wanting any harm to come to it. James watched as Remus dug for a quill and some parchment, then sat back down, intending to send a letter back to Sable.

"Hey, guys," he said asked, turnign to Peter and Sirius, "want to go for a swim? It's awarm outside, and the lake's really not to cold." Sirius and Peter nodded, but Remus didn't want to go.

"I'm going to stay here, mates. I need to send Sable's letter back telling her I got the potion. I'll be down after I finish writing it." Sirius and Peter left the room to go change, but James stayed put. He watched Remus for a minute before saying anything.

"Remus, you alright mate?" he asked. "You were fine up until thatletter arrived." Remus shook his head and tried to collect his thoughts.

The past few months had been extremely difficult since he had been suffering through a bout of depression. Sable's potion helped immensely when he transformed during the full moon by dulling the physical pain. The psychological change was what really hurt.

Remus lost all sense of being a human when he transformed. The animal instincts overrode any and all logical thoughts from his mind. He could only function on the base instincts of hislupine form. That was what scared him the most of all, the lack of control.

The other three boys, Peter, Sirius, and James used their Animagi forms to keep him company during and after the transformations. They could keep him from hurting himself to any major level, but what he needed was something to help him keep his right mind. Someone who knew what it was like to fight the monsters inside that threatened to rear their ugly head during the full moon.Remus looked up at James with a sad expression on his face.

"I'm afraid the potion isn't going to be strong enough for the next time. The changes keep getting worse and worse, andI'm pretty sure that eventually the potion she sends won't have any effect on me." James put his hand on Remus' shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"You know Sable may be able to help you. She's a werewolf too, just like her parents. There may be another potion that can help, a stronger concentration maybe?" He suggested hopefully.

"She's made the strongest draught possible, I don't know if there is anything stronger she can make that won't have an adverse affect on my body." Remus replied. About that time,Sirius and Peter bounded into the room, waiting for James to go swimming and telling Remus to hurry up and finish the letter.

James grinned and grabbed his swimming trunks. Remus, after assuring everyone that he would be down in a few moments, turned his attentions to the letter in front of him.

Sable,

Hey, thanks for the potion. It's helped out lately. However, it seems like the transformations are getting worse. Is there anything stronger that can be brewed?

How are your parents by the way? I hope that they're doing well.

School starts September 1st, the day after is the full moon. Sable, I'm afraid that the animal in me is going to take over, and I'm gonna hurt someone. I know you know what I'm talking about. You yourself are the product of two full blooded werewolves. Because of this, I know you don't change during the full moons, but you do have the same symptoms.

Sable, I appreciate everything you've done for me since we first met. Unfortunately, I'm afraid my lycanthropy is getting worse.

Well, good bye. Everyone sends their love and luck for the upcoming school year. Keep yourself well and safe. _Later, _

MWPP

P.S. Send my love to your parents.

-Remus

Remus sealed the letter and tied it to the waiting owl's leg. He watched the owl fly to the westward, eventually being swallowed by the horizon. He just continued to stand there, long after the owl left his range of sight.

His mind wandered back to his third year at Hogwarts when he first met the girl Sable. She was a vivacious young lady withwavy black hair and violet eyes. He remembered her quick mind and sense of humor the most of all. Those were the two very qualities that had led to her finding out about him.

She had not known about the lycanthropy at first, just like the others. She had transferred to Hogwarts for her third year from Salem School for Witches and Wizards. It was about three months after they had known each other that she finally found out about him. He smiled fondly as the memory came rushing back.

Flashback

Peter and Sirius were standing at the entrance to the _Great Hall when Sable and Lily approached them. They were grinning broadly, as they waited for the girls to catch up. "Where's Remus and James?" Lily asked. Peter only shrugged and told her they would be to breakfast later. Lily hadn't found out about the lycanthropy yet, and neither had Sable. The four teens entered the hall and sat down at the table for breakfast. T_

_en minutes later, Remus and James came tumbling into the Hall. They made it to the table, but Remus still had not figured out how, even after all this time. He sat beside of Sable, giving her a weak grin. She looked at him with a critical eye, noticing the hollow eyes, pale skin, and weakness for the first time since she had ever met him. Sable was startled at his appearance, but had a feeling she knew what had caused it; and whenRemus reached for a pitcher of pumpkin juice, revealing a nasty gash in his arm, Sable had dropped her fork and stared at him with wide eyes. He could remember seeing questions in her dark eyes, but nothing prepared him for what was next. _

Sable grabbed his arm and pulled him up from the table and out of the Hall, over the protests of James, Peter and most of all, Sirius. Remus remembered thinking that she seemed awful strong for such a small girl,buthewas too weak to put up a fight, so he allowed her to pull him into an empty classroom. Sable had pushed him in, locking the door behind them. She then turned to him with her hands on her hips, full of the righteous anger that only thirteen year old girls can master. He looked at her with a puzzled expression when she seemed to trip over her words in anger. But when she finally got a coherent sentence out, Remus slumped down into a nearby desk in defeat.

"You're a werewolf?" She more or less stated it as a fact rather than a question. Remus tried to look shocked, but she had not bought it. "Don't lie to me either Remus. You know I can tell when you're lying to me." she said firmly.

Remus looked at her carefully. She had not seemed scared, which really surprised him. Unfortunately for her, he was still weak, but he was mad now, knowing that his little secret had found home in someone else he had been trying to hide it from.

"So what if I am! What's it to you?" he asked with venom in his voice. He tried to stand, but he was too weak from the previous night's blood loss, and Sable caught him when his steps faltered.

"I'll take that as a yes." she said softly, deftly pushing him back into his vacated seat. Remus just nodded in defeat, hanging his head and wishing that the Earth would open and swallow him into the bowels of hell.

"How did you know?" he asked her, "Did the others tell you?" If one of the other boys had told her, he was thinking of ways to hex the little buggers so bad that their great-grandchildren would be feeling it. He'd sworn the to secrecy after they'd figured it out a few months before. And James had told him that it wouldn't be long before others started to see past his little ruses and figure it out.

Well, apparently that time had come.

Sable shook her head and smiled a little. She fished out her wand and pointed it to her eyes, then muttered a spell and looked back at Remus. He gasped as a realization dawned on him. Usually a deep purple color, Sable's eyes were now the color of his own, deep amber.

"But...how..."

"I know the signs. Both of my parents are full blooded wolves, so I know the symptoms when I see them." she said quickly, quickly going to work on the gash in his arm. "Obviously, you've been smart enough to avoid my attention because I haven't noticed the disappearances for the first few months. But you slipped this morning. I knew something was different when you walked into the Hall, late for breakfast." Remus' head began to whirl uncontrollably as he digested the information in a rush. He was too amazed to see that she also shared the same color eyes as him, so he had not caught half of what she had just said in such a rush.

"Then that would make you a full blooded she-wolf, by birth!" he said in astonishment. "I didn't think people like you actually existed! Adults with lycanthropy aren't supposed to have children!"She only nodded and conjured up a wash basin and some clean bandages, then settled in to the story of her birth.

She had not known Remus for very long at that point, and was not sure as to how he would react to her story, or her assistance, but figured it was worth a shot, trying to befriend him.

"I was an accident, actually." she said with a grin. "And although I have lycan blood, I'm notlikenormal wolves...like you for instance. Let me see your arm. That's a nasty gash you've got there." She pointed to the injured arm. Remus gave her a puzzled look, but she continued. "Both of my parents were bit by the same wolf. As a result of that, I'm a ranula. In other words, I have the same symptoms as a full blooded female werewolf, but I don't transform." she said quietly.

Remus stared in amazement at the girl. She fidgeted under the intense stare, but continued to dress the wound. She had gentle hands, and he barely felt it as she scrubbed away the clotted blood. When her ministrations were finished, she rose from her seat. "I take it Madame Pomfrey knows about this situation?"

"Yeah. She knows." Remus said, nodding.

"Then you need to get to the infirmary. If an infection gets in those gashes, you're gonna be in trouble, and I don'thave any of the salve that I use to put on mom and dad, so Pomfrey's the next best thing. Come on and I'll help you get there." Remus stood up weakly, leaning on Sable for support as they left the room and headed towards the hospital wing.

He remembered getting to the infirmary, but not much after that, and the next day, Sable brought him the potion that began to calm his instincts when he changed. She was soon to be one of the best friends he would have, and he was determined not to loose her to anything before they got to know each other.

End Flashback

Remus wished Sable could come back to Hogwarts. They were both going to graduate from their respective schools this year, and he knew it was unlikely that he would ever see her after he left Hogwarts. The other boyswere great friends, and had been since they had allbonded togetherduring their first year.But Sable could relate to him so much better. She knew what it was like to almost loose control of yourself every month. She knew the sudden urges that could overcome you. And she knew what the self-imposed isolation felt like...the need to get away from others just to keep the populace safe.

_'Maybe one day, I'll see her again.'_ he thought, watching through the window as the three boys play in the nearby lake. _'One day.'_

_-_

_A/N- Remember to review. I'll have the story up a little slower, since I have to retype some of the chapters, but I will get them up eventually. Just bare with me._

_Later,_

_A.A._


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N:) Hi everyone. I'm back again. Please, I need to know what you think about this story. Please review. I will forever be grateful. I do realize that some of the explanations may be a little far-fetched, just bare with me.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that you may recognize. The only thing I own is the plot. I am making no money off of this. Yah, yah, yah. You know the drill.

-

He Dreams of Her

Remus spent the rest of the day being entertained by the other boys. James, concerned with his well-being, made it a point to keep everyone laughing, especially Remus. The fourteenagers wound upgoing to bed at about onethat morning, after nearly driving James' mother up the wall with their constant pranks and deeds. They'd alread broken two of the windows in the manor, compliments of an ill-aimed Bludger that Sirius had hit during a scrimmage Quidditch game. They'd proceeded to blow up one of the smaller sheds on the grounds from the twenty pounds or so of _Filibuster's Wet Start Fireworks_ James had hidden from his mother. Needless to say, Mrs. Potter had not been happy to see the room blown off the place. Finally though, the three pranksters had retired to their respective rooms, more than likely thinking of what kind of torment they could put James' mother through the next day.

However, as Remus lay in the bed, his thoughts kept going back to Sable. He tossed and turned, trying to rid himself of her for good. _'To bad I can't brew a dreamless sleep potion; at least then I wouldn't be bothered!' _he thought glumly. He finally slept after an hour or more of tossing and turning, but even his dreams were haunted by her.

They were standing at King's Cross waiting for her parents to show up. Remus was staying withJames and his family for the summer, along with Sirius. Sable however, was moving back to the States over the summer. Remus stood there with her, hoping her parents would never show up, and she could stay in England. He finally Remus broke the silence, unsure of what to say to her. His three best friends had teased him for the longest time about telling her goodbye, and he had not thought it would be all that bad. But now that he finally realized that she was going to be leaving for good...he was more than a little worried, and not only for her, but for himself as well.

"Take care of yourself over there. We won't be there to protect you anymore." he said with a sad smile. He watched when she looked at him withviolet eyes that seemed to see right through him. He felt something jerk in him when he realized that she was holding back tears of her own.

"It's not like you guys aren't ever going to here from me again, Remus." She said sweetly. He only shook his head, refusing to say anything else. "I'll keep in touch with you, I promise. Besides, I'll want to know if you guys are keeping the Slytherins on their toes."He had knownthis was going to be hard for her, leaving the Marauders and Lily. They had become close during her two years at Hogwarts, and it hurt to see her upset, but she had no choice.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze, apparently trying to reassure him. _Remus looked over at the girl and smiled. He had fallen in love, and fallen hard. Their fourth year had been full of surprises. He had never told anyone else how he felt about Sable, chalking it up to teenage hormones. Not even James knew. He was too afraid of rejection to tell her anything, so he kept it to himself. It seemed ironic that when he finally found a girl that wouldn't run away from him because of the lycanthropy, she was being taken away to the other side of the planet. _

"Don't worry about the Slytherins.If they try anything we'll turn them into a ferret or something and throw'em around the Hall!" he said with a wide grin. Sable had smiled brightly, but it faltered when her parents came pushing through the crowd. The others had come too, right along with Mrs. and Mr. Potter, and Peter's mom. After giving everyone a hug and promising to write, she turned to Remus and smiled. Her eyes were tearing up, but she held them in check. She stood on her tip-toes and hugged the shaggy- haired boy, then whispered something to him andturned to leave with her parents.

Remus watched as theshe vanished from sight, being swallowed by the crowd. He felt cold inside, but her words gave him hope that everything would be alright in the end.

... 

"Moony! Moony, you git wake up!" yelled Sirius. "You're having a bloody nightmare! Wake up already before you tear the entire room up!"

Remus shot up in a cold sweat. His blankets were thrown on the floor and the bed sheets were coming off the mattress. His heart was racing, and his breathing was labored. He looked around the room, but saw only James and Sirius. They were looking at him like he'd gone mad.

"Are you alright, mate?" James asked. "What happened?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Remus replied panting for breath. "It was just a bad dream."

Sirius looked dubious, his own instincts telling him the nightmare had something to do with a certain black haired girl.

"Moony, what's wrong with you?" Sirius asked seriously, "You've been acting weird since we heard from Sable earlier today."

"It's nothing, really." Remus replied. He didn't feel like telling anyone about anything. James Potter put his hand on Sirius' shoulder and shook his head in the dark, telling Sirius not to push the issue any further.

"Alright, Moony." came Sirius' gruff reply. "If you don't want to talk about it fine, but you pull another mood swing like you did today and I'm going to slip some truth potion into your pumpkin juice at breakfast. At least that way, we'll find out what's going on." With that last comment, Sirius left the room.

James handed the covers back to Remus, saying gently, "We're here if you need to talk, Moony. You know that." He then walked out the room, to go back to sleep.

Remus nodded and grabbed the other sheets. He spread them over the bed, and settled himself to try to sleep. But, he kept hearing Sable's voice, telling him the same thing she'd told him when she left.

"I love you Remus Lupin. And don't you forget it."

-

_A/N - End of this chappy. Remember to review. I want to know what you think._


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Hi everyone. This is my first fic, so please be gentle with me. I'm open to any and all forms of criticism. So be willing to comment on any aspect of the story. If there are any mistakes, please feel free to point them out. NOTE: I began this story before OotP came out, and I intend to keep writing it as though I had never read the book. Now, on with the story.**

**The explanation about the vampire/werewolf infection process is just a chance in the wind. I really don't know how the infection is supposedly spread. Just ignore my ignorance on the subject. Remember, review and tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you may recognize. The only thing I own is the plot. I am making no money off of this. Yah, yah, yah. You know the drill.**

**-**

**Wolf's Bane**

**Chapter 3**

**Surprise, Surprise**

**-**

Sable woke up that morning later than usual. She pulled herself out of bed and threw on a bathrobe before going downstairs. It was a bright Saturday morning, butshe felt utterlyhorrible. School would be starting again in a little over three weeks, _Salem School for Witches and Wizards_. It'swas notthat she hated the school, she just wanted to go back to Hogwarts. She grabbed a piece of toast and some milk before going to her potions room. At least she could try to get some work done, despite the fact that she felt like utter crap.

She entered the room with an apprehensive sigh. Once school started, she would have to give up her research, so she figured she should get as much done as possible while she still could.

Sable was an amateur researcher for potions. Thanks to her parents lycanthropy, she was allowed to experiment with her potions during the summer, hoping to find a cure, or at least something that would help out. She sat at her desk and pulled out a Muggle notebook and pen. She began checking over some ingredients when there was a tapping at the window. It was her owl with Remus' letter. She hurried to the window and let the creature in. She took the letter and read it. She was almost in tears by the end. _'My God, what's he putting himself through over there?' _She thought. Usually, his letters were cheerful and funny. Even that Howler he had sent her as a joke had humor in it. But this was so different than the other ones.

"Something's not right over there, Aphrodite." she told the owl. She put the letter on her desk, deciding to write back later, thengathered a few ingredients and went over to a cauldron that had been simmering all night. She measured out the silver root and saw grass, then dumped it into the cauldron. The liquid let off an orange smoke but continued on its way, boiling and bubbling happily. Next she walked over to the project that had helped keep her sane over the summer.

Since both of her parents were werewolves, she could only imagine what it felt like to change from one creature to another. This particular potion was a pain blocker that helped during the transformation. It was thevery same kind that she had sent to Remus the day before. So far, it had worked for her mom and dad. And from what Remus had told her, it had seemed to be helping for the past few months. But,despite the relative ease of making that potion, she knew that it had no effect what so ever on the worse part of the change.

The psychological change was possible the worse factor of the monthly changes.Just watching as people she loved reverted to theirmost basic animalistic instincts every month tore her heart apart. Her parents were good people,always helping when they could, but they literally became monsters on the full moon. Sable had never been hurt by her mom and dad during the transformations, but she hated seeing them go through it. To watch as two highly intelligent people reverted to two blood thirsty animals.

She knew that there had to be some way of counter-acting the psychological hold over a werewolf. Her other project over the summer was a derivation of an ancient Druid potion she had found at theDepartment of Magic'slibrary. The book was written in the old Druid language, which was a mixture of Celtic, Germanic, and Romanian languages that had long become dead. She had spent most of the summer just translating the text, but she thought that she may be on to something after all.

The potion had been used to keep ancient life-stealers, alsocollectively known as vampires, from becoming so overwhelmed during peak feeding times, which also happened to be during full moons. Sable only hoped that the same principles would apply to her werewolf potion once she finally figured out how it worked. She knew there was no cure for lycanthropy, but maybe there was a way to help sufferers contend with the effects. The only catch in the recipe was blood. It called for the blood of a creature that was immune from the dangers of the life-stealers, or in this case werewolves. As far as she knew, there was no one who was not affected by a wolf bite.

She continued to pour over her books until there was a knock at her door. She glanced at a clock and it read 4:50 pm. _'Have I been working that long?'_ she thought as she rose to open the door. When she finally got to it, it was thrown open by a very excited black haired woman in her late thirties, her mother.

"What's going on, mom?" she asked wearily, rocking back on her heals to get out of her mother's way.

"I've got some good news, baby!" her mother replied happily. "I think you're going tolike it this time. It's good, really good."

"Well, what is it?" Sable asked impatiently.

"What did you tell me about _Salem_ two weeks ago?" her mother countered, a grin on her face.

"I told you that I hated it and didn't want to finish my last year with a bunch of moronic idiots. Why?" she replied, never missing a beat. Her mother smiled and handed her a piece of parchment.

"Read it." she ordered. Sable looked confused but did as she was told. She read through the letter and looked at her mother in disbelief. It was a letter from the Department of Magic...reassigning her parents to the Ministry of Magic in England.Sable shook her head, blinked her eyes, andread it again to make sure she was not imagining things.

"We're...we're going back to England?" she asked breathlessly. Her mother nodded and gathered her daughter into a big hug. Sable could not believe it. _'I get to go back. I get to go back to Hogwarts.'_ was all she kept thinking. "But why, mom? I thought you and daddy had permanent jobs for theDepartment of Magic?."

"They overloaded themselves Sabriel, so they had to transfer some of us to the British branch. Your father and I knew how much you wanted to go back, so we volunteered to be transferred."

"But what about school? I'll have to get in touch with the headmaster before I can go back." she said. Her mother shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, baby. I've already taken care of everything. In fact I think this belongs to you." her mother pulled out an envelope that had green writing on it.

"My Hogwarts letter!" she cried. She took the letter and tore it open, seeing theflowing handwriting of Professor McGonagall, her oldHead of House. She glanced down the letter, then flipped it over to find a letter from Dumbledore, welcoming her back afterher twoyear absence.

It was likea dream come true. She had been wanting to go back to Hogwarts for so long, but was not sure if she would ever have another chance. The past two years at Salem had been tolerable, to say the most.But she was just happy to be going back to school were her good friends would be.

Needless to say, Sableand her mother spent the rest of the evening talking about moving back, as well as the progress she'd made on her summer projects.

"Mom, I think I may have got something worth working on." she said. Her mother raised an eyebrow in curiosity, so Sable continued. "There's an old Druid potion that was used to help vampires control their mental stability during peak feeding times. I think if I alter a few things, I might be able to make a potion for you and dad. But there's a catch. I need the blood of a creature that's immune to a werewolf's bite. Is that even possible?" Her mother looked confused, and shook her head.

"Unfortunately dear, not that I know of. Once someone's been bitten, a protein enters their body system from the wolf. This protein acts as a virus that takes over cell production. It alters the genetic makeup of the person. In a matter of just days, the proteins are present in every part of the body. No one we know of has ever been able to counter-act the proteins. And I doubt that any kind of animal could produce an antibiotic within itself in order to counter act to protein." her mom explained.

"But that's how the vampiric traits are passed also, through a virus-like protein. In order for this potion to have worked ages ago, there had to have been something that was immune to a vampire's bite. But how can you become immune to a vampire's bite, unless you're one yourself? Even then,you're not really immune, you just have some energy sucked out of you if they decide to try and feed off of you. So what can causes someone to be immune from the bite?" Sable started pacing the floor. Her mother looked on in admiration.

_'She tries so hard to help me and her father, I just wish I knew how to help her.'_ she thought. "...maybe whatever causes the immunity to a vampire's bite might also cause something to be immune from a wolf bite. So, if I find out how something becomes immune to the vampiric protein, I can use that same set of actions to work for the wolf bite. All I'd have to do is institute that same chain of events, but instead of being bitten by a vampire, it'd be a werewolf."

Her mother rose from her seat and stepped in front of her daughter, trying to stop the incessant talking and pacing.

"Look, you can worry about that later." she said. "Why don't you write Remus and the others, telling that you're coming back. In fact, we're moving into a house right down the lane from the Blacks in Godric's Hollow. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you again." Her mother gave her a hug. Sable promised to not worry about the potion for the rest of the day, and immediately set to writing Remus another letter.

She pulled out a piece of parchment, completely intent on telling them that she would be back, but something held her back. She looked up into a mirror that hung above her desk. She looked a bit different than she had at the end of her fourth year. Her wavy, short black hair was now long and straight. She had grown about four inches, and her face was more rounded than before. Her body had filled out a little more, despite the fact that the lycanthropy in her blood kept her on the petite side all the time. The only thing that was the same were her eyes. Their deep purple coloring reminded her of a set of amethysts. They were still there, hooded by thick black lashes.

"Will they even recognize me, Aphrodite?" she asked the owl. She only received a chirp in response. She smiled and pulled Remus' letter back out. After reading it again, she decided to write back, but not mention her return. Afterall, it would be a good surprise for the whole lot of them. She grabbed a quill and some clean parchment then began to write back.

**Dear Remus,**

**I'm sorry that you are not feeling well. I know that the changes are getting harder, even mom and dad say so. Even my symptoms are worse than normal! The closer the full moon gets, the more my parents and I go at each other's throats! It's horrible.**

**Anyways, I've got some good news and some bad news. Good news is that I think I may have stumbled across a more powerful werewolf potion. The bad news is that I have no idea how to get a key ingredient. I need blood from a creature immune to a were wolf bite. I didn't even think something like that existed! If you have any suggestions, I'd be more than happy to hear them. I'm in a rut here.**

**That last vial of potion I sent you was actually a double concentration. I figured the changes were getting harder. If it doesn't knock you out, you won't feel the change, I promise. Dad took some, and he told me he didn't feel anything, because he slept through the change and up until the next morning.**

**Well Remus, I've got to go now, but don't worry, I'll keep in touch. -And no more Howlers- Keep your chin up and I have a feeling something good's gonna happen in the next month or so.**

**Love,**

**Sable**

She tied the letter to the leg of Aphrodite, and sent her through the window. _'I hope this makes him feel better.'_ she thought. _'Sounds like he's going through one of life's rough spots.'_

_-_

_**A/N - Hey everyone. I know there are some things that need to be explained, and it will be in the upcoming chapters. Just give me time. Until then, remember to review, and I'll get back to you guys later.**_

_**Bye,**_

_**A.A.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, no matter how much I wish I did. Anyway, you know the drill. No money is being made by my part from this story, yah, yah, yah. Normal disclaimer stuff.**

**(A/N: Two weeks have passed since the last letter was sent.)**

**-**

**Wolf's Bane**

**Chapter 4**

**School Shopping**

**-**

Sabriel found that not much had changed since she left Godric's Hollow two years before. The place was still a mostly magical community surrounded by a wooded forest, with a few sparse Muggle families somewhere in between. She and her parents had moved into a small house down the road from the Black's own home. She had avoided going outside so as not to run into Sirius or the rest of her old friends in case they were around. Shehad not know that they were staying at James' house for the rest of the summer, which would have saved her a lot of grief. When they finally did see her, she wanted them all together. She also was not sure of the reaction she was going to receive from the group, so she avoided seeing them until the last minute.

Much toher surprise, her parents had been sent on a job to Bulgaria by the Ministry almost immediately upon their arrival back. They had packed and left the same day they had arrived at the new house, leaving the majority of their things still packed in the shrunken boxes.. They had left her plenty of money for school supplies, and that was presently where she was headed. Since school wouldbe starting in just a few days, and she didn't want to unpack all the stuff yet, she decided to go get her school supplies. So, with supply list in hand, and a full pouch of Galleons,she threw some floo powder into the fireplace, shouting _"The Leaky Cauldron_".

Meanwhile, at the _Leaky Cauldron_..

Sirius grabbed James and drug him to the Quidditch store as soon as their feethit the road behind the_The Leaky Cauldron _that led into Diagon Alley.

"Come on, Prongs!" he nearly yelled, "You're our team Captain this year. And you need some more Seekers' gloves! The other ones are falling apart!"

"Can't that wait until later? Look at all this other stuff we have to get." James countered, holding up his Hogwart's materials list, a frown on his face.

"We'll get that stuff later. We've got to get your priorities straight, my friend!" Remus and Peter glanced at each other and grinned. When Sirius was on a Quidditch high, nothing else mattered, unless it had long legs and wore a skirt. James had been chosen as team captain and Sirius was one of the two Beaters for the house team.

This could go on for hours.

"We'll meet you two in an hour at _Flourish and Blotts_." Remus said. He looked at Sirius and grinned. "You should have it all out of your system after an hour in _Quality Quidditch Supplies." _He laughed at Sirius' hurt expression before turning to follow the blonde headed Peter down the lane to _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions._

Remus pushed his way through the crowded street. His tall, lean frame wove in and out of the busy people. His shaggy brown hair fell into his eyes, but he pushed it out of his way. His blue eyes darted from face to face, trying to locate Peter. He spotted the boy in front of the robe shop. Pushing his way into the shop, he prepared to be attacked by the pudgy shop owner who had a smile for everybody.

Back in the _Leaky Cauldron.._

Sable stepped out of the fireplace at the _Leaky Cauldron_. The pub was sparsely populated by haggard looking witches and old wizards. She smiled at Tom and made her way out the back door of the pub where the entrance to Diagon Alley was. After opening the archway, Sable stepped into the bustling wizarding town, ready to gather all of her school supplies.

Her first spot was the apothecary. Since she had a large supply of her own potions ingredients at her house, she just refilled her supply of a few basic ingredients. She stepped out of the doors to the shop and reached into her pocket of her blue jeans for her materials list. After doing a quick scan, she decided to head for _Drangstun's_ for a few extra potions vials. She set off for the store, humming a pleasant tune as she went along the way to _Flourish and Blotts._

By now, Peter and Remus were finished at the robe shop. They took the new robes and headed to find the other two Marauders. Sure enough, James and Sirius were still at_ Quality Quidditch Supplies._ Peter glanced at his watch and frowned as they walked into the store.

"Sorry fellas." he said, "Your hour is up. Time to go to _Flourish and Blotts_." He watched as Sirius' face fell, but James looked relieved. Sirius was the biggest Quidditch fanatic in the wizarding world, and not even James shared that much enthusiasm about the sport. The two boys paid for their purchases and stepped back out onto the street, heading for _Flourish and Blotts, _with Sirius complaining about having to leave the Quidditch store.

"You can go back later, Sirius." James said, acting like he was talking to a young child. "Term starts day after tomorrow, for Merlin's sake! We have to get this stuff today!"

"Yeah, there's more to school than just Quidditch." Remuspointed outas he pulled the door open to the book store.

"Maybe for you two." Sirius replied pointedly. "The only reason I go there is for Quidditch and the chance to annoy those stinking slimy Slytherins."

"So the fact that girls are there have absolutely nothing to do with it?" Peter asked incredously.

"That's just one of the many extra side perks." Sirius replied with an easy grin. The other boys laughed, knowing that Sirius was a walking bag of hormones when the opposite sex was involved. The four friends enter the store and looked around carefully. They noticed a few familiar faces and waved at them. In the course of trying to get to Arabella Figg and Mundungus Fletcher to ask about Lily, Remus bumped into a girl with black hair causing her to drop her books and bags.

"Oh, I'm sorry." he said, quickly bending over to pick up the fallen books, never looking at the girl's face...

Sable had turned around and bumped into someone rather hard in the crowded room of Hogwarts students. Many of them she had recognized, but so far, no one seemed to remember her. That itself was a relief, unfortunately, it seemed as though her luck was quickly running out when the force of the body hitting her caused the books she was holding to fall out of her hands and clatter to the floor.She glanced up to see who had hit her, but he had already bent to retrieve her stuff. All she could see was a head of brown hair. She stooped down to help him, but the next thing she knew, she saw a kind face with blue eyes that were rimmed in amber. She stared at Remus, not saying anything. All she could think was, _'Oh, shit! What am I gonna do know?"_

Remus looked up at the face of the dark headed girl, and blinked. Her violet eyes were wide and her mouth was open in an _'o'_ shape. He looked at her carefully, trying to place the familiar shocked expression. _'I know this girl,'_ he said to himself, _'Where have I seen her before?'_ His mind raced as he saw the girl regain her composure. She blushed and looked away.

"Are you okay?" he asked, handing her the fallen books.

"Yes, thank you so much." Sable replied quietly. _'Oh, shit. Say something Sable.'_ she thought.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump you like that." Remus said after she had taken the books back. _'I know her, but from where?' _he thought.

"It's alright. I'm clumsy anyway." Sable replied, still not looking at his face. She knew she was blushing, her face felt like it was on fire. She adjusted her bags and chanced up a glance at the brown-haired boy. _'Oh Merlin, Remus,'_ she thought,_ ' When did you start looking THIS good?' _"Well, thank you for the help with the books." she said quietly, trying to get out of the awkward situation. She knew that he was trying to place her; she had seen the flash of recognition in his face when he looked at her. She turned, intending to go pay for the books, then get the hell out of there. But someone stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She knew it was Remus, but she did not want to blow her cover. He obviously had not recognize her yet, and she wanted to keep it like that for now. _'This isn't going to be pretty.'_ she thought to herself.

"Wait a minute." Remus said quickly, trying to stop the retreating girl. He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to stop her from leaving abruptly. The skin to skin contact made his hands tingle. _'What's happening to me?' _he thought. He removed his hand when she turned to face him. Her eyes held a guarded expression, and most of her face was covered from view by her long hair.

"Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you before. Are you a new student at Hogwarts?" he asked. The crowd lurched and Sable looked in horror as the three remaining Marauders sidled up to their friend.

"Who you got here, Remus?" Sable recognized the long black hair and mischievous glint. It was Sirius Black, or she was a dead woman. "A friend of yours?"

"I don't know, that's what I was trying to find out." Remus replied quickly. _'Maybe they will recognize her.'_ he thought. He continued to stare at her with a puzzled look.

"Well, you obviously aren't getting anywhere fast." Sirius replied sarcastically. He pushed Remus aside and bowed low to Sable, a grin on his face.

"Who are you fair maiden? She who graces us with her beauty in this building of scholarly knowledge?" he asked poetically. Sirius had noticed the pretty mystery girl, but she seemed a little shy.

Sable looked at Sirius' bowed figure and laughed. She picked up her bags, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten due to his familiar antics. For a moment, it seemed as though she had never left them.

"Let me give you a hint, brave Sir knight." she said with a smile. Sirius smiled at the others and waited. Sable paid for her books and turned to the four boys. With a mysterious smile she said,

"Maybe I'm someone you already know." She looked directly at Remus and smiled. "Question is, are you Marauders smart enough to figure it out?" She watched as their faces turned to puzzlement. But before any of them could stop her, she turned and ran, leaving the four confused boys staring at her.

It took a few seconds for the girl's words to sink in, and when they did the boys watched in surprise as the pretty girl fled the store. They turned to look at each other in complete bewilderment. After standing there for a minute, Peter finally broke.

"Who was that?" he asked breathlessly.

"I'm not sure, but she obviously knows us." James said with a grin. He looked over at Remus, who just shrugged. "I know her from somewhere, but where?" Sirius walked over to the counter, depositing his new texts with a thud. He turned to the other three boys with a wide grin on his face.

"Don't worry about it." he said happily. "She's obviously a Hogwarts student, or she wouldn't have known us. We'll see her again in two days. Personally, I can't wait." Once again, Sirius' hormones were talking. Remus, however, knew the girl.

The black heir, violet eyes, and creamy skin.

The embarrassed, shy look on her face.

Then, the smile when she turned to leave.

He rubbed his neck in frustration, remembering the tingly feeling earlier when he touched her. _'This is crazy!'_ he thought. He and the other boys picked up the new books, paid for them and left the store to finish the rest of their shopping. It was turning out to be an interesting day for the four pranksters.

Sable, on the other hand, was nearly hyperventilating by the time she struggled through the crowd. She turned a sharp corner and ran down an empty alley. She dumped everything and proceeded to pace up and down the alleyway, growling herfrustrations out through gritted teeth.

They weren't supposed to have seen her. Now they were all suspicious, and probably trying to find her while she was pacing upand down the alleyway like some crazy idiot. She was wracking her brains out for a solution to her problem.

"How the Hell am I going to get out of here now? They'll be looking for me!" she said out loud. She sat down on a crate and tried to calm down. Her mind kept going back to the four boys she left standing at the book store. They had all changed dramatically since she last saw them, and the pictures she had been getting did them no justice what so ever.

Sirius had gotten much taller, all of them had. That mischievous glint still remained though, as did his thick, black hair. James was forever the same. Tall and scruffy with messy black hair and dark pools of blue eyes. All the years on the Quidditch team had made defined muscled come out everywhere on the two boys. Peter had changed too. No longer as pudgy as before, his flaxey blonde hair framed his face messily. Hehad turned into an alright looking guy, no where near as good as the two leaaders of the posse, but still. And not to mention Remus.

"What the Hell!" she said. "It's just Remus!" His hair had gotten longer, and he was the tallest of the four, next to Sirius. His eyes were a crystalline blue, tinged with the amber circle lining, meaning a full moon was approaching. He had never played Quidditch, but he looked to be in good shape, despite the recent bouts of sickness he'd been having because of the full moon.

"This is ridiculous!" she said loudly. She grabbed her bags and walked back into the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, going straight to the fireplace. All the way, she waited for a set of hands to grab her and spin her around. But none did. She pulled some floo powder out of a nearby pot and threw it into the flames. She grabbed her bags and jumped into the fire. All she kept thinking was, "What the Hell!"

**A/N - Don't have much to say right now. Just remember to review the chapter, please.**

**Later,**

**A.A.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you may recognize. The only thing I own is the plot. I am making no money off of this. Yah, yah, yah. You know the drill.**

**-**

**Wolf's Bane**

**Chapter 5**

**Off to School We Go**

**-**

The morning of September 1st brought the Marauders to the kitchen table of Mr. and Mrs. Potter, waiting for breakfast. Peter was the first one downstairs, followed by Remus, then James, and then a very grumpy Sirius Black. They ate quickly then loaded their school trunks into the Potter'sliving roombeforeflooing to a small shop nearKing's Cross. The day promised to be good, and they all looked forward to seeing their friends again.

That very same morning, Sable double checked her belongings to make sure she had not forgotten anything before Apparating to King's Cross. She had gotten her Apparating licensebefore the summer, right after she had turned seventeen. Unlike in European countries, Americans were a little more lenient with teenage witches and wizards. The oldest students were allowed more privileges than others, and Apparating happened to be one of them. When Sable moved back to England, the British Ministry had extended her the same courtesy of doing her research over the summer, as well as Apparating while she was not yet quite old enough. This had helped with the moving and packing she had been doing over the summer.

The four boys arrived at King's Cross a little after ten in the morning. They said their good-byes and thanks-you's to the Potter family before going through the barrier that separated Muggle King's Cross from the magical Platform 9 3/4. The boys stepped through the barrier and saw the scarlet Hogwart's Express ready and waiting. There were already a number of students there, putting their trunks in empty compartments on the train and then looking for friends. James scanned the crowd for a certain red headed girl; he had a few questions for her to answer.

He soon found her in the crowd, helping some of the younger students get calmed down. She wore the traditional black Hogwart's robes with her Gryffindor uniform flashing underneath. Pinned on the left hand side of her robes was a shining silver badge with the words _'Head Girl'_ on it. James grinned and walked up to her with an easy stride.

"You would think they could find someone besides YOU to be Head Girl. They must be slipping in their old days!" James said with a perfect imitation of Severus Snapes' voice. He watched as the redhead tensed and spun to face him, the anger making her green eyes sparkly like emeralds.

"I'll have you know, Severus Snape..." she began coldly, only to stop when she realized it was James standing in front of her. She broke into a smile and hugged James fiercely. "James Potter, you better be glad I'm in a good mood, or I'd have hexed you right then and there!" she said.

"No you wouldn't have," he said pointedly. "You can't hex the Head Boy, at least not until we get to school." Lily laughed and hugged him again. They hadn't seen each other since the end of last year, and they had missed each other horribly.

"Where's the rest of the fearsome four?" Lily asked curiously.

"There over there somewhere." James replied dismissively. "Lily, when you got your letter, did Dumbledore say anything about some new students being transferred to Hogwarts from other schools?"

"Yes he did," she said, "But he didn't give me any names. There's only one though, some girl from _Salem_. She's in our year, but I don't know her name, and I haven't seen her yet. Why do you ask?" James explained about the girl they had met at Diagon Alley. Lily's interest was peaked about the mystery girl, and decided to find out who she was. "Well, we'll see her here, and if not, we'll see her at the Sorting Feast. Maybe she's just shy."

"But that still doesn't explain how she knewus." James pointed out. Lily just shruggedas they walked up to the other boys, not knowing how to counter that point. She hugged each of them and spoke with them for a few minutes before she and James were called to the train for a quick meeting with Professor McGonagall.

Remus, Peter, and Sirius quicklyfound an empty compartment on the train and packed away their trunks, then returned to stand outside the train, watching the other students scurry around. Remus kept looking through the crowd for a glimpse of the black-headed girl from _Flourish and Blotts_,hoping to spot her before the train left. Finally after twenty minutes, James and Lily came back to the group. They were about to rope Remus in to a conversation about Quidditch when he saw the mystery girl step through the barrier and onto the platform.

"Hey Lily," Remus said quietly, "you know that new transfer student we were talking about? I think she's here." Lily watched Remus' line of sight as it settled on the black haired girl. Lily's mouth dropped. She tried to get a close look, but she was surrounded by people. _'If that's who I think it is, these boys are going to kick themselves when they find out!' _she thought to herself with a grin.

"I'll go see if I can find out who she is since you four seemed to have scared her already." Lily said with a huff. She gave James a quick kiss on the cheek, and left the four boys.

Sable pushed her way through the crowd, carefully avoiding the younger students. She caught a glimpse of red hair out of the corner of her eye before pulling her trunk onto the train and dragging it to the last empty compartment on the train. She had not been recognized yet by anyone as far as she knew, and that was good. Although she was getting some second glances from some of theolder kids, as though they thought her a familiar face, none of them had questioned her yet.

She pulled out a clean ledger and the Druid potions book she was translating after getting her things settled, then flipped to a clean page and began to write. About half-way through the first sentence, the compartment door opened, and Sable looked up into the face of a grinning Lily Evans.

"Meadow Sabriel Robbins, is that you?" Lily asked with mock anger. Sable could not help by grin. She knew fooling Lily would be hard, obviously she was a tad more observant than her boyfriend and his friends.

"The one and only, Ms. Evans. Thank Merlin for that! The world can't handle more than that!" Sable said as she stood up form the seat. Lilyhugged her and smiled with happiness at seeing the shorter girl.

"How have you been, Lily? Remus told me that you had been made Head Girl this year. Congratulations, by the way." Sable said happily. Lily dismissed it with a wave and a grin.

"That's old news Sable, but thank you just the same." she said smiling. "Now when did you decide to come back, and why haven't you told any of us? You've got those four wandering around in confusion after that meeting at Diagon Alley. Why didn't you tell them who you were?" She asked in a rush. Sable held out both hands and shook her head.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. I got back over here about two weeks ago. Mom and Dad were transferred back to England. I didn't tell anyone I was coming back because I didn't know what kind of reaction I would get. As for the others, that day we met at _Flourish and Blott's_ they kind of surprised me, and I didn't know what to say. So I ran before I could blow my cover too much. Besides, it's good to make the boys think a little. I'm guessing they haven't put two and two together yet to figure out who I am?" Sable asked with a sly grin. Lily laughed and shook her head.

"No, they don't know yet. And I'm not about to tell them who you are. Let's see if they can figure it out before we get to school. Come on, let's get back out there before they send out a search party. I'll introduce you with your real name, Meadow Robbins. Sabriel's your middle name, and Sable's a nickname. If I know those four, they won't remember that little tad of information. Of course, Remus might, but if I know the other three...it'll go over their heads." Lily grinned again, but her countenance turneddeadly serious."It's good to have you back again, Sable. Maybe you can help us drag Remus out of this stage he's in." She led the way back out again, with Sable rushing to keep up with her.

"I know. I could tell something was wrong when I got the last letter. Look, here they come." Sable grinned. The four boys smiled at her in recognition.

"Meadow, these are our resident Gryffindor house pranksters. Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, and last but not least, the brains of the group, Remus Lupin." Lily said with a flourish, gesturing to each in turn.

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm afraid I left rather abruptly after our initial meeting in the bookstore. Please, I hope you don't consider me rude." she said with a smile. She held out her hand to shake, but Sirius grabbed it and kissed it gently. He had that glint in his eyes again. _'I guess it's good that some things never change.'_ Sable thought.

"Ah, the fair maiden has now named herself. Well Lady Meadow, let me be the first to welcome you to our illustrious center of learning." he said poetically. Lily rolled her eyes and smiled. _'If he knew who that was, he'd die of shock.' _she thought cruelly. She put a hand over her mouth to hide the grin that threatened to escape. Sable raised her eyebrows and glanced at Lily.

"Oh, by the way, watch out for that one," she pointed to the kneeling Sirius, "He tends to be a little overly dramatic when trying to impress a new girl." Sirius rose from the ground, feigning hurt.

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying!" he said indignantly, still smiling at Sable.

"It's alright, I've met worse, much worse." Sable replied coolly. She turned to the others and smiled sweetly. "You're Head Boy, James Potter, correct?" James nodded. "And I'm guessing you are Peter Pettigrew, correct?" she asked the blonde headed boy. "Then you must be Remus Lupin?" she held out her hand and he shook it. She noticed that his eyes were rimmed in amber, much like her own. But she had put a charm on her eyes to keep them their normal color. Only if she removed the charm would the amber circles be visible to everyone else. _'Tomorrow's the full moon after all.'_ she thought. "It's a pleasure to meet you, all of you." She was about to say something else when the whistle of the engine drowned them out.

"We'd better go before everything's full." Peter mumbled. "Have you found a compartment yet, Meadow?" He asked timidly, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Yes, I did, Peter. Thank you." she replied politely.

"Why don't you come sit with us?" James asked quickly. Lily smiled and winked at the other girl.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose or anything." she replied.

"No problem at all." Sirius grinned. "We'll go get your stuff and you can sit with us." he said. "What compartment where you in?"

"The last one on the left." Sable replied. Sirius nodded and grabbed Remus' arm.

"You're coming with me, mate." he said quickly. Sirius had noticed that Remus just kept staring at the girl and figured he needed to look at something else before his eyes exploded.

"Well, let's go." Peter said. James and Lily went to the compartment in the front for the Heads, but told Peter they would find them once the trip got underway. Peter nodded and led Sable to an empty compartment on the train. They were soon joined by Remus and Sirius, with Sable's trunk between them. They sat it beneath the seats, and settled in for the ride. Remus handed her the potions book and ledger she had been working on earlier. She thanked him and put them away in her bag.

"I've got a question for you Meadow." Remus said suddenly. Sable turned and nodded. It was the first timehe had spoken to her since they got on thetrain, and she was wondering what he was thinking."When we met you in the bookstore, you called us the Marauders. How'd you know who we were?" Sable smiled, she'd been expecting the questions. Ever since their meeting in Diagon Alley, she had been figuring out what to say to them.

"Well, you see, another student at Salem had spent a few years at Hogwarts before coming there. She had a picture of you guys and she told everyone of all the pranks you had pulled while she was there. So, even thought no one at Salem really ever met you, everyone know about Hogwart's famous pranksters." she answered, never missing a beat.

"Who was the girl?" Sirius asked.

"She had a weird name, it sounded something like Gabriel. I'm not exactly sure, but she had black curly hair and violet colored eyes. She was really sweet and really good in Potions. Does that ring a bell?" she asked innocently, trying to keep from laughing.

"Sable." Remus said quietly. The others only nodded, growing quiet.

"Did I say something I wasn't supposed to?" Meadow asked, playing innocent. Of coure, if theyhadput it all together, they might have just figured the puzzle out right then and there, but of course, they didn't."You guys got all quiet suddenly."

"No, you didn't do anything, Meadow. Sable is a good friend of ours who left Hogwart's a few years ago. She was one of the group, just like a sister to us. And even more to some of us." He looked over to Remus who only shook his head and looked out of the window. " Anyway, we haven't seen her for two years, even though we do keep in touch. We all wish she could have come back for our last year at school." Peter explained.

"Yeah, she is a rather sweet person. She's rather well known at Salem. Fortunately, I was in the same house as her. We were good friends, and she always talked about the Marauders. She even gave me a pretty accurate description of you guys before she got the picture. She said that James and Sirius were the masterminds of the pranks. Peter was the one who carried them out when you got into a tight spot. Remus was the brains of the pack, always the one with thecharms or spells needed to carry the prank out." she finished.

Remus was very quiet throughout the conversation about Sable. He missed her so much it hurt. And this girl reminded him of her so much. It wasn't her looks, but her personality that seemed so familiar to him.

James and Lily had returned soon, and the group of teens settled in for the trip. Lily kept looking at Sable and grinning. When the boys figured it out, they were going to freak out, especially Remus. The Head Girl looked over at Remus. He was pale and his normal blue eyes were glowing an eerie amber color. He and Meadow were playing a game of chess, and the match was almost dead even. They bickered over the pieces, but Sable's king finally fell to Remus' queen piece.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. When they arrived at Hogwarts, Sable went with the first years on previous orders from Dumbledore. She would be re-introduced to the Gryffindor House after the sorting of the first year students. She waved at everyone as they climbed into the carriages that led to the castle, while she was surrounded by a group of anxious eleven year olds.

They climbed into the boats that would take them across the lake and to Hogwarts castle. Sable could not wait to get there. She was as excited as the first years, but somehow she managed to hide it better.

'Lord I hope they're not too mad when they find out.' she thought as she pushed over to let a few other students into the little boat.

Meanwhile, back on land…

Remus climbed into the horseless carriage with Sirius and Peter in tow. His mind was whirling with question, and feelings he thought to be long gone. He fidgeted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. Sirius noticed this and glanced at him.

"What's wrong, Moony?" he asked. He knew something was wrong with his friend, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"I'm just thinking. That's all." he replied.

His eyes were totally amber now, and the moonlight fell through the carriage window casting shadows on the pale face.

"It's about Sable, isn't it?" Peter ventured carefully. Remus turned to the smaller boy with a grimace.

"How'd you know? Am I that transparent?" he asked with a wry grin.

"Kind of. We've all been thinking about her, all evening." Sirius said quietly. "Meadow reminds me of Sable so much. She doesn't look like her, except for the eyes, but her personality is so familiar. It's eerie."

"It's kind of like her personality, just in another body." Peter finished.

"I wish Sable were here." Sirius said. "She always was a kick to keep around. Kept us on our toes, she did."

"Me, too." Peter admitted.

"What about you, Remus? You wish she would come back?" Sirius questioned. _'If you only knew, Sirius. If you only knew.'_ Remus thought.

"Yes, I wish she would come back. But she's not, she's still in the States." he said. Sirius shook his head in despair for his friend. He knew Remus and Sable were very good friends. They would probably be more than friends by now if it weren't for the bloody Atlantic Ocean that separated them. He had watched them carefully the last day of school during their fourth year. It saddened him greatly to see Remus look so down trodden. When Sable had left, Remus seemed to close everyone off for a while. Sirius knew the two shared some type of bond that grew from the lycanthropy, but he sensed it was more than either let on. This bothered him greatly, mainly becauseRemus' transformations were becoming harder. And Sirius had a hunch it wasdo to the fact that his psychological state was disintegrating slowly. The depression he'd been suffering from lately had made the transformations harder for him, resulting in more scars, both emotional and physical.

The three friends sat in silence as they road up the path to Hogwarts, each one absorbed in their thoughts about Sable.

The small wooden boats ran aground on the shore near the back of the castle. Sable climbed out and waited for the younger children. They were all a mixture of nerves and excitement. They whispered to each other, trying to let off some of the anxious energy. Sable scanned the crowd, noticing a small boy near the end of the crowd. His big brown eyes were wide in anticipation, but he stood all alone. While the others chatted amongst themselves, the little boy looked on, the envy plain on his face. Sable walked through the crowd and stood next to the boy.

"Hey there." she said gently, "You holding up alright?" The little boy turned his big brown eyes to her and nodded. "What's your name, kid?"

"Th..Thomas McCleod, miss." he said in a strong Scottish accent. He seemed to be a bitshy, so Sable tried another approach.

"Well, Mr. McCleod, I am Meadow Sabriel Robbins. But you can call me Sable. Nice to meet you, Thomas." she held out her hand and the boy shook it timidly.

"Are you a student here, or a teacher?" he asked, seeming to get over his awkwardness.

"I'm a student; it's my last year here."

"Then why are you with us? Shouldn't you be with the older students?" he asked quizzically. Sable laughed and began to guide him up the hewn path to the castle, behind the other students.

"Well, you see, I'm a transfer student from America. I've been at SalemSchool for Witches and Wizardsfor the past two years; but before that I was here. So tonight, I'll be re-introduced into my old House, Gryffindor." she explained.

"You were in Gryffindor?" the little boy asked in astonishment.

"Yes, I was. Which House would you like to go into?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied, I've heard great things about all of them. How are we sorted anyways? It's not anything too difficult, is it?" Sable smiled at the little boy's nervousness.

"I'll leave that for you to see." she said with a grin. "Don't worry, it's not hard at all." The boy looked a little suspicious, but said nothing.

They entered into the corridor leading into the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall stood there, peering at the new students. They all came to stand in front of her, quite anxious to get started.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, students," she said in a commanding voice. "In a few minutes you will be sorted into your Houses, but first, I need you to follow me. Come along." And with that, she turned and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall

Sable stayed close to the back of the line, letting the little ones go first. She followed slowly, looking carefully around the great Hall. The four Houses were filled to the brim. The Slytherins were looking on to the new students with disdain. The Ravenclaws were as excited as the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors. Sable glanced towards the head of the Gryffindor table where the Marauders and Lily were sitting together. She waved at them and Lily broke into a grin and winked. The group of new students stopped and Professor McGonagall unrolled a piece of parchment.

"When I call your name, please step forward. Sit down, and I will put the hat on your head and you will be sorted into you houses... Jeremy Abergathe."

And so the sorting began. With each name, the crowd in front of Sable dwindled, until only she was left standing there. At this point, Dumbledore stood and waved her to the platform, waiting for the chatter to die down. McGonagall had already taken the sorting hat and the stool away. Now, Sable stood beside the Headmaster in silent anxiety.

Lily grinned when the stool and hat were taken away. She looked around the room at the puzzled expressions on people's faces. She watched as Sable made her way up to the platform where Dumbledore stood.

"What's going on? Why wasn't she Sorted?" Sirius asked quickly. He went to stand up, but Lily put her hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down into his seat.

"Sit down Sirius, nothing's wrong." Lily said calmly. She grinned at the boys evilly.

"What's going on Lily?" Remus asked suddenly, not liking the new situation.

"Wait and see." Lily said mysteriously. James only shrugged. Lily had cracked in the carriage and spilled the beans about Sable. He wanted to kick himself for not recognizing it earlier, but he was happy she was back. Their attention was drawn back to the aging Headmaster.

"I have a few start of term announcements for you all. First of all, note that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to everyone. Secondly, our new Head Boy and Girl are Lily Evans and James Potter of Gryffindor." He was cut off by the loud rumble of applause that was emitted from the student body. "Thirdly, I would like for all Prefects and Heads to meet in my office after the feast. And lastly, it is my pleasure to re-introduce one of our students back into the student body. This young lady left us two years ago, but she has decided to come back to finish her last year of school with her friends. I am sure the seventh years remember a young woman by the name of Meadow Sabriel Robbins, or more accurately, Sable. Let's welcome her back, as she will be rejoining her house mates in Gryffindor." Dumbledore clapped his hands, and soon everyone else, minus the Slytherins, were welcoming her back. "Now, if I may, let the feast begin."

She chanced a glance to the head of her house table, Lily and James were grinning like clowns. Sirius and Peter were sitting in shock and Remus just stared at her, a disbelieving face plastered to him. Sable blushed and looked down. It wasn't exactly the reaction she had expected, butthey weren't screaming at her, so it was fine with her. She stepped down from the platform and sat at the very end of the table, down of her friends and next to the new Gryffindors, including Thomas McCleod. Now that they knew the truth, she'd let them come to her.

"You're kidding me, right? This is a joke, right? That is NOT Sable down there!" Sirius nearly yelled, turning to a smiling Lily next to him.

"Yes it is, you git! Too bad you didn't realize it earlier." Lily laughed.

"You knew about this?" Peter turned to a very red faced James Potter.

"I didn't find out until Lily and I were in the carriage. Then she swore that she'd hex me into my afterlife if I said anything. Sorry mates, my hands were tied." he said helplessly.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Remus asked simply. He still couldn't believe that she could possibly be who everyone said she was. He glanced back down the table, only to see her talking with one of the new Gryffindors.

"She wasn't sure what kind of reaction she would get after not seeing us for two years. She was scared that we would push her off." Lily explained.

"WHAT? She knows we wouldn't do that!" Sirius yelled, causing a few students to stare at him in confusion.

"Calm down, you overgrown baby!" Lily admonished. "She did it because she wasn't sure we still wanted her around. It has been two years since we last had any interaction with the girl other than letters. She wasn't sure about anything. Do NOT hold it against her. We've all changed since we last saw her, this was just a defensive measure, in case something went wrong."

Remus stared at his plate, his appetite forgotten. _'She's back. I can't believe it, she's back.'_ he thought. He glanced down the table again, seeing her stilltalking to a little brown haired boy. He watched her until she glanced up the table at them. Amber eyes met amber eyes, since Sable had apparently removed the concealing charm on her eyes before the ceremony, and Remus felt his heart skip a beat. Sable gave him a small smile and looked back down, her black hair hiding her face from view. Before he realized it, he stood up and walked to the end of the table, trying to get to her.

The others watched when he rose from his seat and went down the table. _'Maybe this will help him.'_ they all thought simultaneously.

Sable was talking a lot, and eating very little. She felt someone come up behind her, but she wouldn't turn around. A hand reached out to her, and touched her shoulder. She tensed up immediately. Remus sat down beside her, but said nothing. Finally, Sable broke the awkward silence.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly.

"For what?" Remus asked. Sable shook her head, not meeting his amber gaze.

"For not telling you guys who I was. For playing this whole charade game since I saw you at _Flourish and Blotts_, for..." Sable stopped when Remus started laughing. "Why are you laughing? I figured you guys would be ready to flay me alive when you found out!"

"Nah, you'll stay in one piece, for now anyways." he said. "I'm not going to guarantee anything when Sirius gets a hold of you though. He's pretty peeved."

"Peeved that I'm here, that I didn't tell him, or that the crazy boy didn't figure it out sooner?" she asked with a laugh.

"I think because he couldn't figure it out. And now he's actually embarrassed about kissing your hand at the store and the station." Remus said with a grin. Sable laughed, knowing she was going to catch hell when Sirius got to her.

"Meadow, can I ask you something?...oops, sorry. Didn't know you were talking to someone." Little Thomas McCleod said quickly, as he turned away from the older students. Sable had been so caught up with Remus that she had forgotten the little boy sitting beside her. She turned to boy with a smile.

"What is it, Thomas? Did you need something?" The little boy looked at Remus and frowned.

"No, it's nothing important. I just wanted to know about the house Quidditch team, but it can wait ." He once again looked at Remus and frowned. _'Looks like she's already got an admirer.' _Remus thought wirily. Thomas turned from them and proceeded to eat his food. The other kids had seen him talking to an older student and he became an instant celebrity. When Sable sat next to him, the other students wondered why she would stay with the little kids. Thomas had gained quick acceptance after that. Now he was trying to eat in between talking about the house Quidditch team.

"I think he's a little taken by you." Remus said softly. Sable looked at him with curiosity.

"You're nuts. He's only eleven years old !" she shook her head and laughed quietly. Remus just looked at her and grinned, shrugging his shoulders, then pointing to theblushing little boy." I didn't believe it before, but now I'm convinced. You're nuts." she said with a grin. Remus laughed and stood from his seat.

"Come on, let's get you away from the boy before he tries to keep you by him all night. We can't be having you corrupt the younger students." he grinned.

"No, that'syour department if I'm correct. After all, I wouldn't want to make you boys look bad." She said again. Remus beckoned her to stand, and she did.

"I'll see you later, Thomas." she said. The boy only nodded, then turned a bright red. Remus gave her a I-told-you-so look that she would love to have wiped off his smug face. She walked up to the head of the table, near the other seventh years. They all smiled and waved. She then sat down between Remus and Peter, waiting for the comments from Sirius to fly.

And fly they did! First, he told her off for fooling them, then for not telling them, then for letting him make an idiot of himself when her kissed her. Finally, after another fifteen minutes of the Wizarding Inquisition, Sirius got it out of his system.

The rest of the feast was spent talking and throwing sarcastic comebacks at each other. It finally ended when everyone stood to go to the common rooms. Nothing was said on the way up there, but when the Fat Lady closed after admitting the last Gryffindor, all hell broke loose between Sirius and Sable, again. Remus watched in amusement as the two friends bickered, trying to get under each other's skin. Finally, Sirius cracked when Sable commented on how he couldn't even tell who one of his friends were after they were gone for a while. Sirius was losing his cool, quick.

"By the way Sirius," Sable prodded, "How did you manage to make the Quidditch team? Oh, that's right, James told me that the captains for the past few years have all been girls. Never mind, that just answered my question perfectly." She smiled sweetly. Sirius however, did not find it very amusing. He walked away with a huff and sat in a far away chair.

"Ding, ding! Round 1 to Ms. Robbins." Peter said through a fit of laughter as he watched Sirius storm off. Sable smiled, remembering the bickering matches she would get into with the tall dark headed boy. He glared at Peter and Remus who were laughing hysterically. James and Lily came in at that time, surprised to find the two hysteric boys, a pouting Sirius, and a smug looking Sable. The two Heads ushered everyone into bed, since it was after midnight already. Even though it was a Friday, they all complied. Everyone was worn out from the day's events. Soon, the entire common room was left to the Marauders, Lily, and Sable.

When Sirius finally got over his little overly dramatic show, he joined the others by the fire. The talked for another two hours, catching up on old times. They finally said their goodnights as they went to the dorms._'This is going to be an interesting year, if this evening is any indication of that's to come.'_ James thought as he watched the two girls walk away,_ ' Very interesting indeed!' _

_-_

_**A-N : Hello people. How am I doing so far? Your opinion counts, even FLAMES. Help me out here.**_


	6. Chapter 6

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Disclaimer - Not mine, never was. No money being made. You get the point by now.

Reflections

Remus shuddered as he pulled his clothes off and got into his pajamas. He crawled into 

bed, trying to sleep, but to no avail. He kept thinking about Sable. He twisted and turned, trying to forget her, but it was no use. She just stuck in his mind, refusing to come out. 

'She hasn't really changed that much,' he told himself; meanwhile, trying to ignore a little voice that told him otherwise.

__

'Oh yes she has!' it said, finally coming out.

'No she hasn't. Sure, she's gotten taller and her hair's straight now. She's much prettier, but other than that, she's the same.' he reminded himself.

__

'Isn't that enough?! You were watching her all EVENING! She's about as perfect as humanly possible. Just admit it already.' the voice said

'So, she's perfect. Big deal.' 

__

'So perfect, that you wish she'd like you as more than a friend. Don't you?' the little voice prodded.

'I do not like her like that. She's a friend, nothing more.' he reminded himself sternly.

__

'She's only a friend now, what about later? If you'd have listened to me two years ago, you'd have saved yourself some of this trouble.' it replied.

'You told me to kidnap her!' he reminded the voice angrily.

__

'Well, at least she would have been with you.'

'And both of her parents would have killed me, therefore eliminating you in the process. Wait a minute, that's not such a bad idea at the moment.' he said sarcastically.

'_Oh, get over it Remus Lupin,_' the voice said, _' you're in love with the girl. Why not just admit it!'_

'If I do, will it make you shut up and go away?' he questioned, getting frustrated.

__

'Not a likely chance, buddy.' it replied.

'Then what do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?'

__

'Well, for beginners, you can admit that you fancy the girl. Then, quit using the lycanthropy as an excuse. Yes, the rush of hormones have effected you since the full moon's so near, but that's no excuse.'

'What if what I'm feeling, passes after the full moon? Then what?'

__

"It won't pass, you hard headed idiot!!!! Has it ever? Who was the one person you were thinking of every time you've transformed for the past two years. Who was the one that kept you awake for nights on end? Who's the one that made you feel better every time you got a letter from her? Who? You answer me that, mister Moony!'

'I can't do it,' Remus thought, trying to find a legitimate way to get around the voice that he knew was right.

__

'You can't what? Love her? Are you nuts? It's too late for that! You're already in over your head.'

'I don't want to hurt her,' he thought.

__

'How can you hurt her, Remus? She's just like you. In fact, she's probably having this same conversation with herself right now! What've I got to say to make you believe me?' it questioned, completely exasperated.

'It's not right.' 

__

'I'll tell you what,' it said, _'I'll come back in a few days, just to prove this isn't some little crush you're going through. Yes, at the moment you're lusting after her. You realize that every thought you've had about her this evening had been animal instinct driven, and I know that. But just remember, as a ranula , she goes through the same thing. Just remember that you hard headed mule!' _

And with that final threat, the little voice disappeared back into the recesses of Remus' subconscious. He turned over and buried his head in the scarlet clad pillow.

"This is ridiculous! I'm arguing with myself about her. She's right, I am nuts. Maybe I should go to the nurse. Maybe she could give me something to stop this." he said quietly. He turned over again, soon falling asleep as the first rays of light peaked through the Gryffindor tower's windows. In his mind, he heard a slight chuckle.

__

'Pomfrey good, but she can't help you this time, Moony.'

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Sable twisted and turned in her four poster bed all night. She was rooming with Lily since all the other dorms were full. The chill of pre-dawn made her shiver as she pulled on her robe. She got out of bed and walked over to the window, looking out sleepily. She hadn't slept all night, her mind so full of Remus it hurt. She knew the full moon was coming, she could feel it within herself. Often times, the closer the full moon got, the less she slept. However, this time it wasn't the bright orb that now lay so low in the sky that had kept her awake. It was Remus.

She wandered aimlessly around the room, trying to collect her scattered thoughts.

'Alright, here are the major questions,' she told herself, ' should I tell Remus more about the potion I've been working on? Should I tell him exactly how I feel ever time he gets within a ten mile radius of me? And last but not least, should I tell anyone else how I feel?' She stopped pacing after finding herself back at the window.

__

'Yes, yes, and yes.' came a distant reply.

'Why should I tell anyone anything?' She questioned her conscious.

'_Because it'll make you feel better.' _the little voice said soothingly.

'I don't think I should say anything. I mean this is all hormone induced, right? After the moon begins to wane, this will all be over with, right?'

__

'Wrong! That's what you tell yourself every month.' It seemed like her little voice was getting annoyed with her indecisiveness_. "Give me a break. Every time he looks at you, you melt. You know him better than the boys ever will. You know what makes him tick. You're not suddenly going to make me believe this is some fluttering crush! You know you like him, why not admit it already?'_

'That's all it is, a crush! And no I don't like him like that!" she defended.

__

'Then how come every time your old boyfriend David kissed you, you imagined you were holding another particular brown haired blue, eyed boy who he just so coincidently resembled.' it charged immediately 

'Okay, that was a mistake!'

__

'So don't make another one." the voice screamed, _"If you don't want to tell everyone, write Remus a letter. Tell him to meet you somewhere by himself. Give it to your owl to deliver to him at breakfast. Meet him and tell him everything. And I mean EVERYTHING!!' _

'Okay, fine you win. I'll write the letter. But if he runs from me, I'm blaming you!'

__

'Good, it's about time you listened. And he's not going to run from you. Too bad you didn't do like I told you when you left.' it said smugly.

'What? Jump him right there in the train station? I was fourteen years old, for Merlin's sake.' Sable retorted.

__

'So, that just goes to prove that girls mature faster than boys. Besides, it would have worked.'

'Yeah, and mom and dad would still be breathing down my neck. No, that was definitely one of you worse ideas, I think.'

__

'Like I said, you have no originality. Whatever, just write the letter already.'

And with that, her little voice was gone. She sat down at a desk and lit a nearby candle with her wand. She pulled out some parchment, ink, and quills. Lily rolled over and called out to James in her sleep, then was still again. Sable collected her thoughts and began to write.

'At least you're happy, Lily.' she thought glumly.

__

'Why won't you let yourself be happy, Sable?' the small voice called to her.

'Because I'm scared.' She answered truthfully.

**A few hours later (Early morning..)**

Sable was still up when Lily began to stir in her sleep. After another ten minutes, Lily emerged from the bed, hair a mess and eyes still red from sleep.

"Already up, Sable?" she yawned.

"I never went to sleep last night." she replied truthfully. She was still sitting in the desk chair where she had written the letter. Lily gave her an odd look and shook her head. 

"It's because it's a full moon tonight?' she asked, sounding more awake now.

"Yes, I think so," Sable answered glumly. Lily noticed the circles under Sable's eyes and the lack of energy. _'Is this what they go through every month?'_ she thought sympathetically. Sable looked to the red-headed girl and suddenly grinned. "Well hurry up already, Lily!" she said, "I want to eat something before I turn fifty! Are you always this slow in the mornings?" Sable exclaimed , feigning starvation. Lily ducked as a pillow came flying by her head. The two girls laughed and Lily went to get ready for the day while Sable stared at the envelope in her hand.

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Remus did not stay asleep for long. He was roused up from his light nap by the sounds of Peter bumbling around the room. He tried stuffing his head under his pillow, but nothing worked. He could hear Sirius yawning and James fumbling around for his glasses. Even though the Head Boy had his own room, he still crashed in the dorms with the other students occasionally. Remus figured he was not going to get much sleep, so he pulled himself out of the bed. In a quick fifteen minutes, he was up and dressed, but on the verge of falling asleep once again. The boys came out dorms and sat in the deserted Common Room, waiting until breakfast. No one else was there, so the boys did not reign their conversation.

"What time are we meeting tonight?" Sirius asked sleepily.

"Right after dusk, I suppose." Peter answered.

"I've got rounds tonight with Lily." James said quickly, "I'll get there as soon as I possibly can unless something else comes up."

They all turned to Remus, who was in the middle of a yawn. The noticed that his canines were starting to get pointier, never a good sign. 

"Sounds fine to me. In fact, I'd be surprised if Pomfrey even came to take me to the Willow, seems like she lost a liking for the job at the end of last year when I almost changed right in front of her." he grinned. The boys laughed, remembering the incident.

The girls came down the stairs from Lily's room and joined in the chit-chat. It was soon time for breakfast, so the group set out for the Great Hall. As they entered the hall, Sable was pushed up against someone; before she could turn around the boy pushed her out of the way.

"Watch it, you stinking Gryffindor!" he said venomously. Sable looked up into the face of a burly seventh year Slytherin named Cody Flint. He sneered as he settled his gaze onto the girl. The Marauders quickly came to her side, but she waved them off.

"Well, it's good to know some things never change, Flint." she said sweetly. "I've been gone for two years and you're disposition of a bad egg, as rotten as ever." She gave a false smile to the boy and shook her head. "It's good to know there is some stability in this world. Oh, and by the way, how about you watch where YOU are going. In most countries, ladies go first. However, I suppose that common etiquette is a little advanced for your Slytherin intellect." she said, never batting an eyelash. 

Cody Flint sneered even harder, if that was possible. His dark hair was messy, and he had obviously just woken up, since he was in a mood worse than normal.

"I can't believe that they let you come back, Robbins. Personally, I thought it an improvement when we didn't have to lay eyes on you after fourth year." he said icily.

"I never knew I had been kicked out, Flint. Thank you for informing me of that. And I have a hard time believing that you didn't miss seeing me. Because you sure seemed to watch me an awful lot during Potions our fourth year. Or was I just imagining all those cute, little looks." Flint actually seemed to color for a moment before trying to retaliate against the girl. However, Sirius, who liked no Slytherin, stepped into the fray. 

"Why don't you go crawl back to whatever Hellspawn created you? I'm sure they're missing you right about now!" he said vehemently. He felt a confrontation coming on, and it didn't promise to end prettily. "We've got nothing to say to cheating, low life scum like you."

"Oh, still sore about our last match, are you Black? Maybe next time, you'll keep your eyes on the Bludger, instead of any girl who walks by in a skirt." Flint cornered. Sirius was really peeved. He made for the Slytherin Quidditch captain, intending on sending him to the infirmary for the remainder of the weekend. However, James intervened, trying to stop the impending chaos.

"That's enough, both of you." he said firmly. Sirius gave him a questioning look and stopped. 

"But, James...." 

"Look Sirius, I'm as much up for a good Slytherin beating as you, but not where everyone can see." he said. He turned and stared daggers at the other boy. Flint only shrugged and walked away. He turned his head over his shoulder, intent on enticing Sirius a little more.

"Watch your back on the field, Black. There might be more than Bludgers flying at you face during out next match." He said stonily. He turned and sauntered off to the Slytherin table. With the impending fight gone, James turned his attention to Sable. 

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" James asked.

"No, I'm fine. But I won't be if we don't get something to eat. Come on." James looked puzzled, but motioned for the others to follow her. Remus was seething with anger. _'Flint had no right to do that. She didn't even do anything to him. Oh well, I think she got her point across to him quick enough. We'll just have to keep a close watch on her for the next few days.' _he thought. 

The six friends found their way to the table and sat down to eat. Halfway through, the sky was suddenly filled with owls of various sizes, shapes, and colors. A small barn owl dropped a letter in front of Sable while James and Peter each got their mail. She opened it and read carefully, then sighed in frustration. 

"Something the matter?" Remus asked curiously.

"Mom and dad aren't going to be back for four more months at least. The Magical Embassy in Bulgaria has them working overtime trying to find the ones responsible for all these random attacks that have been popping up. They've got a couple of good leads, and the head honchos at the Ministry doesn't want them to leave until the whole thing is finished." she explained.

"I see." Remus replied. Just then, a small envelope fluttered down and landed in front of him. He grabbed it and read the cover. _'Don't open this until you are by yourself'_ it read. Remus looked at it for a moment before stuffing it in his pocket. Breakfast was over and the group soon stood from the table.

"Where you guys headed?" Peter asked.

"Quidditch pitch"

"Library"

"To sleep!"

Came various replies. Sable said nothing. She had wanted to speak with the headmaster about somewhere to work on her potions in private. The dungeons were where the Potions class was set up, but she didn't want to work down there where just anyone could have access to her work. She grabbed her books, intent on finding the headmaster when Dumbledore appeared behind her.

"Ms. Robbins, may I have a word with you in my office?" he asked politely.

"Of course, headmaster." she replied. She turned to the others and waved. They smiled and continued their previous conversation. After she disappeared, Sirius and James headed for the Pitch, Lily went to the library, and Remus headed back to the dorms. Peter left the Great Hall, content with watching the others on the Pitch practice.

Remus made his way back to the dorms, intent on sleeping for a few more hours, but the letter in his pocket took priority over sleep. He sat on his bed and opened the envelope carefully. He was surprised to see it was written in Sable's handwriting.

__

Remus,

There are a few things I need to tell you, and only you. Nothing is wrong, so please don't freak out on me. Most of what I have to say centers on a certain subject that involves both of us. Meet me by the lake at noon, unless you have other plans. I want you to know about this stuff before anyone else since it concerns you more than them.

Sable

'That's odd'Remus thought_, 'I wonder what it is. Well, it can wait for a little while. I'm going back to sleep."_ He folded the letter and put it in a nearby drawer before going back to sleep.

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A few hours later

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Sable sat down beneath the tall tree and waited patiently for Remus. She smiled, remembering how many times she had sat in the exact same spot when she used to go to Hogwarts. Anytime she got upset or overwhelmed, she would come to the lake and sit, sorting out her problems. _'Well at least today isn't starting out bad_,' she thought_, 'Dumbledore's letting me use an old classroom to work on my potions, so I can't complain. Now, if I can just tell Remus what I need to, I'll be fine.'_ She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree trunk. She didn't know how long she stayed there, but Remus' voice jerked her back into reality.

"Am I interrupting your nap?" he asked, grinning, "I'll come back later if you want, I promise."

"No, you're fine, Remus." she answered. She motioned for him to sit, and he did. "I guess you want to know what I called you out here for, right?"

"Yes, it'd be nice to know." he admitted. Whatever it was she had to say was really serious, he could tell that much instantly. 

"Well, do me a favor. Once I start talking, just let me go. Cause if you stop me, I'll never get the guts to do this again." Remus nodded and she started her story. "Well, you see, the reason we came back to England wasn't totally because my parents were transferred. My last year at Salem I done some research, and I think I may have found a potion that can help werewolves ward of the psychological affects of lycanthropy. I took a book from the American Ministry. It was an old Druid potions book written by the Celtic wizards of long ago. I've translated most of the entire book because it was rumored to have a cure for any and all people who had been touched by dark magic. After translating some parts of the book, I found a potion that was used to keep vampires from going batty during their peak feeding times, which just happened to be full moons. Well, I figured that if I changed up a few things, I might be able to deviate from the recipe and make another type of potion. One that makes wolves keep their mental awareness during the changes. I brewed the potion, but realized that I was missing a key ingredient. I needed the blood of someone or something that was immune to a wolf bite. At the time, I didn't know what it was, that was when I sent you the letter asking if you had any ideas. When you said that animals are immune, I tried to use the blood of a cat. It didn't work out. The potion went berserk and blew up on me." 

Remus nodded, remembering the alleged letter. At the time, he had thought that she was crazy, asking for something that was not affected by a wolf's bite. Apparently, she had found something, though. 

"I gave up on the potion after that since I didn't know where to find the needed blood. I destroyed the majority of the potion, but kept a few vials out for further study. When I was unpacking after we moved back here, I set up a few experimental vials in my room to study. While I was getting my cauldron out, I dropped a vial of the experimental wolf potion. I tried to clean it up, but cut my hand pretty badly in the process on one of the shards of broken glass. When I stood up, a few drops of my blood fell into the puddle of potion. The potion was a dark blue originally, but when my blood fell into it, it turned clear. Just like the vampire potion was supposed to. I cleaned the mess up, not thinking about it for a while. Then, a few days later, I realized that I may have found the key ingredient I needed, my own blood."

Remus looked at the girl in complete astonishment. Sable's head was bowed to the ground and she seemed to be overly upset about the whole deal. Personally, Remus thought that it was wonderful, especially if it was the cure. He scooted over to her and tried to comfort her, still confused as to why she was upset.

"Sable, this is great." he said quietly, trying to mask his own happiness. "You may have found something that can help your parents and me. Why are you so upset about it?" Sable shook her head.

"You don't understand, Remus. I took that book from the Ministry without telling anyone. You know what the penalty is for stealing from the Ministry. If they ever find out that I took it, I could be killed. Besides, I'm not even sure if the potion will work. I never tested it on anyone; I'm too afraid to."

"But it changed color, like it was supposed to, right? Isn't that an indication that it was successful?" he asked hopefully.

"That potion had been in the vial for at least a week when my blood came into contact with it. There could very well could have been some type of impurity in it from the overseas trip. Besides, it doesn't make any sense, I mean think about it. Why would I be immune to a werewolf's bite? I'm no different from anyone else." She said quickly.

"Sable, you are the offspring of two people who were bitten by the exact same wolf. You're blood is that of a pure-blooded werewolf, not an infected one like me or your parents. Werewolves can't infect each other with lycanthropy because they already carry the virus." Remus pointed out.

"So, what your saying, is that you think the key ingredient for that potion is the very blood of a werewolf?" she asked, suddenly interested. Remus shook his head, she wasn't getting the point.

"If everything you're telling me is true, Sable, I think your blood may be the key." he said gently. Sable's eyes got larger as she seemed to remember something important. 

"You may be right, Remus." she admitted. "Ever since I was born, I've been around when my parents changed. And through all those years, I've never been bitten by them. They always seemed the same around me. But, I chalked that up to me being their child, and them not wanting to hurt me. I've never been around any other wolf when they've changed, so I don't know if it would work. I always seemed to be able to calm them down after the changes. It's like I could read their minds or something." Sable shuddered at the memories, since she never liked seeing anyone go through the change; it just scared her.

Remus felt her body shiver, and he pulled her close in a friendly hug. He was so excited that she may have found something that would help him. 

"Do you think you could re-brew the potion?" he asked, breaking the silence. Sable was still formulating ideas in her head, going over the questions that plagued her.

"I can't just brew that potion and give it to you Remus." she said pointedly shaking her head. Remus eye's flickered with annoyance for a moment, but she continued. "There is too much gray area. What if I'm not immune from a wolf bite? If I brew the potion and give it to you with my blood in it, it may have some weird side effects. I don't want that to happen to you, Remus. There's no telling what could happen."

"Then how will we know, if I don't try it." he asked, getting annoyed with her.

"I can only think of one way at the moment." she said sarcastically, picking up on his annoyment. _'Doesn't he realize that I'd do whatever it took to help him? I just don't want to give him a potion that I haven't tested yet.'_ she thought. Remus stood up and glared at her.

"And what would that be, Ms. Robbins." he said sarcastically. _'Merlin, it seems like she doesn't want to help me anymore!'_ then the logical part of his brain kicked in and slapped him, _' She just doesn't want to hurt me.'_

"When you change tonight, I'm going with you. I'll annoy you enough to make you bite me. If I'm not affected, then I'll know that I'm immune." she stated simply, standing up to face him. "Then, I can brew the potion with a clear conscious that I'm not going to kill you when you drink it." Her face was becoming flushed, and he could tell she was about to loose her temper. Remus immediately regretted becoming annoyed with her. 

"And if you're not immune, then what?" he said trying to talk her out of the ridiculous idea; and immediately kicking himself for getting her upset. He knew when she set her sights on something, she would not let go until she achieved her ends.

"Then we'll find out what happens when a pure blooded she- wolf gets bitten by another wolf." she answered bluntly. She turned to go back to the castle, seething with anger._ 'How dare he. I try to help him, and he tries to tell me what to do._'

Remus watched as she went back to the castle in a hurry. _'I am not going to let her come tonight. What would I do if I hurt her? Besides, I have the potion she sent last month, that will help with the transformations. I can't let her put herself in danger because of me. I'll just ask Lily to keep her occupied after we leave. That'll keep her out of trouble.' _Remus thought to himself. He watched Sable disappear into the school, and soon followed suit, trying to locate the other Marauders and Lily.

A/N - Did you like the little voices? A friend of mine actually gave me the idea because she is constantly arguing with herself. It's hilarious to watch her when she gets going. Anyhow, remember to review. Later.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer : Roses are red, violets are blue. Me no own, you no sue! (I don't know who's that is, or where it comes from. It's cute though.)_

_Special Thanks : See the end of the chapter._

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* * *

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_Wolf's Bane_

_Chapter 7_

_The Bite_

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* * *

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Sable wound up spending the next few hours in the room that Professor Dumbledore had allowed her to use to perfect her experimental potions. She'd told him about the potion she had been working on, and hoping he would be able to see her point of view about it. Surprisingly, he had given her a small silver key and told her that there was an old abandoned classroom at the end of the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway that she could use. He had given her the password, and sent her off, a twinkle in his eyes at the amount of suprise on her face.

Now, she looked _over_ the dusty classroom and sighed. it needed some cleaning, and desperately. She pulled her wand and began to dust and clean the shelves and few sparse desks. After about a half hour of cleaning, she brough all of her potions ingredients down from her dorm, thankfully avoiding most of the other students in the process. Luckily for her, it was a weekend, and she highly doubted there would be many students down the Defense hallway questioning the reason for floating boxes disappearing behind an old tapestry.

She opened up her trunk and began to place th eingredients, in order, on the numberous shelves that lined the walls. Her cauldrons were set up around the room, and her books were placed on a shelf near one of the desks. She then turned her attention to the storage closet and the small room that branched off of the main classroom. The storage closet was empty when she checked it, so she placed her extra potions ingredients in there for safe keeping. She closed the large door and put serveral locking charms on the door.

Even if Sirius and the others managed to find the room, she still did not want to leave some rather explosive ingredients just lying around for the mischevious Black to find. If she did, Hogwarts was likely to lose it's bottom floor courtesy of an unplanned explosion!

After conjuring up a few more shelves, she went to the other small room across the way. It was a little larger that she had expected, and even had a small fireplace in the corner. She smiled and got to work, knowing exactly what she was going to do to the room.

_'I'll just make this my dorm.'_ she thought_. 'Then Lily can have her Head's Dorm back, and I won't be in her way.' _She smiled happily as she pulled out her school robes and hung them in the armoire not far from the queen sized bed. It was apparent that Dumbledore had had the bed sent down to the room recently because it was the only thing that wasn't covered in a half inch of dust. A little while later, she was done, and things were set up to her liking. 'I'll get the rest of my stuff from the dorms and bring them down here in a little while.' she thought. 'But first, I need to go see Professor Tuft about a few necessary plants.' She surveyed her handiwork one more time before tucking the small silver key Dumbledore had given her into her pocket and exiting out of the hidden doorway, and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway.

* * *

Remus had caught up with James and Sirius on the Quidditch Pitch, and told them that they needed to find a way to keep an eye on Sable that evening when the four of them left for the Whomping Willow. 

"What's wrong with her? Is she sick or something?" Sirius asked. They had just finished practice, and the two black headed boys were covered in sweat. Remus looked at them carefully, not wanting to betray Sable's confidence by telling them about the potion, but knowing he needed to get his point over to them.

"I just don't want her around when I change. I think she wants to come to see if the potions she's been sinding me is working. But we all know it is not as useful as it was before, but I don't want her to know that." he answered, skirting around the truth. James and Sirius just nodded and the three began to formulate a way to keep their friend from stumbling into the Shrieking Shack.

* * *

Sable made it to the greenhouses on the side of the castle without incident, successfully avoiding any members of the Marauders, or Lily. She immediately went looking for the Herbology teacher, Professor Tuft. _'If I know Remus, then he's already told the boys to keep me quarantined in the Tower tonight.'_ she thought glumly. She foun the stout little teacher a few inutes later, standing behind a large Devil's Snare in the second greenhouse. Unfortunately, she was not alone. 

A tall boy with shoulder length black hair also stood there with her. Professor Tuft seemed to be helping the young man gather leaves from a rather large, and extremely agitated Trolywhil plant. Not wanting to interrupt, Sablem calmly waited until the two were finished discussing whatever it was they were discussing before she stepped into their line of sight and said anything.

At the sound of her voice, the two turned and faced her. Professor Tuft had not changed all that much since their last meeting, and still had the graying brown hair and welcoming smile she showed all her students. The boy however, only seemed to regard her with an air of annoyance. His pale complexion was shockingly familiar, as was the faint sneer on his lips. When his black eyes flickered in recognition, Sable knew who he was instantly, without even having to look at the Slytherin emblem on his school robes.

"Professor Tuft, it is good to see you again." Sable said, nodding to the short lady. "As is you, Severus."

"It is good to have you back, Ms. Robbins." the lady said with a smile.

"Yes, I was wondering when my rival would return." Snape said cooly, the sneer becoming more pronounced. Sable just grinned and folded her arms over her chest, regarding the taller boy in front of her. She and Snape had never really been friends, more along the line of acquaintances. Their mutual love of Potions had allowed them to have a fairly number of non-violent conversations before she had left, despite the constant inter-house rivalries between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"It is a pleasure to see you as well, Severus." she said, nodding.

"What brings you here, dear?" Professor Tuft asked, taking her gloves off.

"Well, I need some leaves from the Devil's Snare for a potion I am working on. I was just wondering if you happened to have any in storage that have been cured already." she answered.

"What are you working on?" Snape queried.

"A potion to make a person's disposition a bit cheerier." she said, smiling. "I was going to force some of it down your throat as an experiment to see if it works like it's supposed to." Snape just glared at her in an attempt to put her on edge.

It failed miserably.

Professor Tuft just laughed at the two teen's bickering and left to go get the leaves Sable had requested. When she was out of earshot, Sable began laughing, only to have Snape look at her like she had gone batty.

"Well, Severus." she began. "what kind of concoction are you brewint up now? Something to put on Gryffindor's food and make us all horribly sick, right? Or maybe a potioin to hurl at Sirius or James? To hear those two talk, they've been giving you hell lately."

"Well, Ms. Robbins," he began coldly. "may I remind you that I am not one of your little prankster friends who have a tendancy to put others through misery for the sick pleasure of seeing them squirm. Besides, any potion that I may or may not put on the Gryffindor food would do more than make certain individuals sick, I assure you. And as for Black's and Potter's incessent ramblings about my apparently non-existent social life, I would kindly ask you not to believe everything that those two gits say."

Sable blinked at the boy, disbelief clouding over her brain. This was not the same boy she had known two years before. He was so...cold. Back in fourth year, the two had actually formed a sliver of what could have been called mutual respect for each other. Now, it seemed like their one time understanding had disintegrated into nothing more than a chance to hurl insults at the other.

"Geez, Severus, what did they do this time to get you in such a foul mood?" she asked. Snape just growled, and turned away, more than likely wishing she would just go away.

"Nothing that concerns you, Ms. Robbins. I assure you." he replied, still refusing to look at her.

Sable's hands went to her hips angrily. Snape had never treated her like this before, and she couldn't figure out what was making him do it now. Sure, she had heard about the incident when Sirius had tricked him into going under the Whomping Willow one night during the fool moon, and how Snape had been sworn to secrecy about it. But she hadn't had anything to do with it, so she wasn't sure why he was treating her like the scum of the Earth.

"Alright Severus,I don't know what's crawled up your ass and died. But whatever it is, would you kindly remove it and get off your high horse? I don't know what the Marauders have done to you, considering you never returned any of the letters I sent you after I left, but I didn't have anything to do with it. So quit acting like such an ass already, would you?" she said. Snape refused to answer her, and only made her anger grow by leaps and bounds. "What's happened to you since I left?" she asked, completely exasperated with the silent treatment she was receiving from him.

"More things than you could ever comprehend." he said sadly, casting his eyes towards the entrance of the greenhouse as if searching for an escape route. Sable saw him absently rub his hand on his forearm, but did not have time to question his answer because Professor Tuft had arrived with the needed ingredients. The short lady handed the full jar to Sable and nodded.

"Do you need anything else, dear?" she asked.

"No, ma'am. That was all. Thank you so much." Sable said, smiling slightly to cover up the tension that had arose with Snape. She turned to the boy and shook her head once again, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. "It was a pleasure to see you both again. Good day." Snape said nothing, but the Professor waved happily as Sable made her way out of the greenhouse and back towards the castle. She had some things to find out from people as to what had been going on at the school lately, and why Snape suddenly hated her guts. And she had a fleeting feeling that she would find the answers in the form of one overly-paranoid werewolf and his best mates.

* * *

Later that evening, as Peter and Sirius followed at a distance from Remus and Madame Pomfrey, on their way to the Whomping Willow, Remus was silently praying that Sable would be smart enough to stay within the school while he underwent the change. 

It was dusk, and the Marauders were once again doing their monthly trek to the dangerous tree, cramped under James' invisibility cloak. Unfortuantely, James was busy doing Head Boy duties, and had told Remus that he couldn't be with them tonight. Remus had understood, and made James swear to keep an eye on Sable for the rest of the evening.

Once inside the underground tunnel that led to the old abandoned house in Hogsmeade that had been dubbed the Shrieking Shack, Peter and Sirius threw off the cloak and breathed in a breath of fresh air. It was damp in the underground tunnel, and the little light that was admitted in was fading fast as the afternoon sun set out of sight. Remus said nothing, but led the way through the passage in silence. His mind was still on Sable, and he clutched the vial of pain relief potion in his pocket that she had sent him.

The three boys soon found their way barred by the trap door that led into the Shrieking Shack, and they threw it open and climbed up. It was still about a half an hour before nighttime fell, but Remus was starting to get a little antsy. Once they were settled in for the long night, Sirius turned to Remus.

"Do you have the potion, Moony?" Sirius asked. Remus just nodded and produced the container from underneath his robes. "Do you think it'll do you anymore good?"

"Not sure, Padfoot." Remus answered. The boys chatted for another few minutes, but soon stopped when Remus began to sweat and go deathly pale.

"It's time." Peter said quickly. The werewolf across the room nodded and quickly downed the small vile of pain relief potion in one gulp. He felt it go to work almost instantly, slowly beginning to numb every part of his body. He watched as Sirius and Peter transformed into their Animagi forms of a small rat and a big black dog, then doubled over as the beginning pains of the transformation hit him.

It was always the same. One quick jab of pain that raced through his stomach, almost like a precursor for what was to come. Then, a burning sensation throughout his body as his cells began to change. His stomach would start flipping and flopping, and every bone in his body would break and reshape itself to form the animal that overtook the human.An involuntary scream left his lips as he was sucked into the psychological hell that was a werewolf. He felt his canines enlarge and grow pointier, and his nails begin to curl into claws. All coherent thoughts fled as the wolf slowly took over.

The pain was intense, even with the numbing potion Sable had given him; andhe once again wondered if this was some sort of punishment for somthing he had done. He wasn't even sure what it was anymore, but he was being punished for something, at least in his mind. Why else would he beforced to go through the torture, the torment of this change every four weeks.

His last coherent though was of keeping Sable away until this was all over with. Then, he gave into the animalistic instincts that had come over him, and let out a mournful howl that caused the thin walls of thebuilding to revertebrate. Across the room, Sirius' canine form plopped down onto the ground, trying to hide his overly sensitive ears from the howls that Remus was letting loose.

The dog Animagi had quickly picked up on an unfamiliar scent when he had shifted into his dog form, and was trying to find where it was coming from, which he quickly pinpointed. _'Somethings' not right_.' he thought, growling slightly. _'Someone else is here. And it ain't Prongs.'_ He looked around the room, and found the strongest concentration of the scent wafting up from the trapdoor. Sirius knew he couldn't lift the trapdoor while he was in his canine form. So, he did the next best thing and plopped down on it. His bulky form would keep whatever was giving off the scent from getting into the dilapidated old house, and consequently running into a very depressed werewolf who would not think twice before attacking them.

* * *

Back at Hogwarts castle, Lily and James were making their rounds around the school, searching for students out past curfew, when the mournful howl of Remus reached their ears. Lily shivered involuntarily as one howl died down, only to be replaced by another one. 

"It almost seems like he's calling out to someone." she said quietly, sneeking a peek out of a window in the hallway that looked over the grounds. "I just wish there was something I could do. I feel so helpless." James nodded and put a comforting arm around his girlfriend.

"I though maybe having Sable back would make it better, but it doesn't sound like it." James admitted, nodding towards Hogsmeade.

"It's only been two days. Give them some time to get acclimated to each other again. We know she can help him. The only question is, will he let her?" the red-head said, beginning to walk again, only half-hearedly looking for other students. James caught up and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Lily, do you think there is more going on between those two than they are letting on?" he asked suddenly. Lily just laughed and nodded.

"Of course there is. There was something going on with them back in fourth year, but neither of them would admit it!" she exclaimed. "When she left, Remus was so upset, that much I remember. Where is Sable now, by the way? I saw her in the Common Room after I told Remus I would keep an eye on her this evening." James just shrugged.

"She told me she was going to the library when I left to meet you. Said there was some books she wanted to look in about Celtic potions, or something like that. I don't remember exactly what she said. She left in such a hurrt, I didn't catch it all." Lily stopped walking and stared at her boyfriend, a grim expression on her face.

"Where did she say she was going?" she asked.

"To the library. Why?" James asked.

"James, the library isn't open yet." she said frantically. "The librarian won't be here until Monday, and Dumbledore gave me the key to get in. No one else can get in!"

"You don't think she's gone to find Remus and the others do you?" James asked, his eyes narrowed into two hazel colored slits.

"I think that's exactly where she's gone to." Lily said quickly. "She knows how to get there, you guys showed her in fourth year. Oh, God! James, you've got to get the the Shrieking Shack before she gets herself killed!"

* * *

Sirius could still smell the odd odor coming from underneath the trapdoor. He was bound and determined not to get up though, not wanting another incident to occur where someone walked in on a fully grown werewolf.

_'Whoever is down there, I'm gonna kick their arses when I find out!'_ he thought. It appeared as theough Remus had begun to get nervous at the closed in space he had been cooped up in. The werewolf had started to scratch everything he could get he paws onto. But that did not last long, and the wolf soon began inflicting the wounds upon himself, leaving the gashes and wounds to bleed almost nonstop.

Sirius, his mind temporarily drawn away from the intruding scent, immeditaly jumped off the trapdoor and bounded over to his friend. The werewolf was getting blood all over the place, and Sirius was trying to stop the horried self mutilation, but to no avail. In his dog form, he could do ver little to stop Remus from hurting himself.

Peter, who had been hiding underneath some soured straw, scampered over to the trapdoor as soon as he picked up the unfamiliar scent that had put Sirius on edge. He stood over the entrance, trying to figure out who the smell belonged to. However, he wasn't there long, because as the trapdoor was slung open, he was flung off the top and into a nearby wall hard enough to knock him out. As the small rat's sight began to dim, he could see the dark hair of one Sabriel Robbins coming out of the tunnel.

* * *

James ran down the damp underground tunnel with the speed of a flash of lightning. The air was humid and his hair was sticking to the back of his neck as the sweat began to roll down his back, underneath his robes. As he neared the end of the tunnel, he quickly changed into his Animagi form, a stag. He galloped around a bend in the tunnel, determined to make it to the Shrieking Shack before Sable killed herself. He rounded the last corner and saw Sable push open the trapdoor that led to the dilapidated old house. He panicked, knowing that Sable would undoubtedly be bitten if she was let in there. _'Remus, if you have any form of control in you, I hope you learn to control it, like RIGHT NOW!' _he thought quickly, trying to catch up with the girl. 

Sable heard the snarling and growling of Remus and Sirius as soon as she opened the trapdoor. She pulled herself out of the tunnel and onto the wooded floor, horrified at the sight in front of her. The moonlight cast shadows all around the two struggling figures, hiding them from view every time they slipped into the darkness. It was Remus and Sirius, fighting. Sable glanced around, quickly noticing the scratch marks and blood on the floor. _'Merlin, what's going on?'_ she thought. Something came down with a huge crash right behind her, and she jumped in surprise. She could still hear the growling and barking of the two canines behind the boxes that littered the room. She ran to look at what had made the commotion, forgetting that a very angry werewolf lurked in the shadows.

Sirius' energy was almost completely spent. He had been fighting with Remus for too long. In his dog form, his stamina was not as long lasting as in his human form. Remus had taken a toll on him, and it was beginning to hinder him in his own self defense. His dog form was limping, but he still fought the wolf to keep him distracted from the girl. As he regrouped himself behind a box, he picked up the unmistakable scent of Prongs on the air, and breathed sigh of relief. _' If he gets her out of here, we can handle Remus.' _he thought as Remus crouched for another attack on the big black dog.

The wolf part of Remus was now in complete control, and it knew something was different. It knew he was weakening. His instincts threw him into a state of panic when he felt every muscle relax and give over to rest. The snarl left his face, the amber eyes losing its fiery anger. Looking at the beaten form of the shaggy, black dog limping in the corner, it realized that something wasn't right. He pulled out of the meaningless fight, dazed as he fought off the instant weariness. The wolf came out of the shadows, intending on giving up the fierce battle when he caught the scent of something else...something new.

He walked out into the full moonlight, blood trailing and pooling behind him from the gashes on his side. There, in the center of the room, stood the intruder. From his muzzle came a low and threatening growl, as he picked up on the untainted female human scent. The human turned, focusing her own amber eyes upon the menacing wolf, never flinching.

* * *

James came up through the trapdoor, intent on pulling Sable back down into the tunnel and chewing her out for being so stupid. Instead, he gaped as he saw Remus and Sable in the middle of an apparent stare down. Sirius came limping out of the shadows, and Peter scampered over to the two other boys. The untimely fling from the door had knocked him out for a few moments. They waited for Remus to attack his friend, but nothing happened. The two teens, one more wolf than human, waited in anxious silence.

The wolf growled low and threatening once again, trying to scare its prey into running. It waited patiently, willing the human to move, to make one wrong mistake. He moved closer to the human, trying to get a rise out of her. Still nothing. Still, he fought as the human mind within him battled with the feral instincts of a wild animal. So he waited, fighting off the smooth grasp of sleep that had began to cradle his mind, like an innocent child.

* * *

Sable stood absolutely still, barely even breathing. She watched as her potion took affect on Remus. His eyelids were drooping and he was standing drunkenly. Finally, she chanced a glance to the rat, dog, and stag that stood to her left. They all waited, expecting an attack, and waiting to defend their friends from each other. She looked back to Remus' still form. The moonlight had turned his usual dark coat a lighter shade of brown, but his eyes still held that look of a hunter. She took a deep breath and began to inch her way closer to the werewolf, never breaking the spell binding eye contact. She finally found herself standing in front of the beast. She reached out a tentative hand, trying to see if he would bite at her, he didn't.

"Remus, it's me. Sable." she said quietly. "I know you can hear me somewhere in there, can't you?"

The wolf watched in apprehension as the human reached out to pet him. It saw her amber eyes glance up and down his mutilated body. Her touch was soothing. He felt no need to bite her, which was in itself unusual. His primal instincts were seemingly subdued by her eyes and her hands, the very own eyes he had in himself. He felt a connection with the little human somewhere beyond his control. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. The stag was moving closer to the little human with amber eyes. He didn't want anyone near him, except the human. He growled deep in his throat and the stag backed up, albeit reluctantly. Sable noticed and quickly began talking to him again.

"Remus, don't growl at James. He's not going to hurt me, or you for that matter. Just calm down, let the potion take a hold of you. It will help you relax and make the change back less painful. Come on now Remus, you remember why I came down here. We've found out what we need to, now rest."

The boys were surprised to see Remus visibly calm down with her words. His eyes started to droop, and he swayed where he stood.

Sable knelt down in front of the wolf, stroking its matted fur carefully. The bite and scratch marks on him were bleeding, and she prayed to whatever God may be that the potion would soon take full affect, effectively knocking him out for a few hours. Remus, too tired to remain conscious, slumped down onto the floor. His head landed in Sable's lap, and he made no move to remove it. He didn't completely understand what she was saying, but he understood well enough. He felt completely safe as her small hands stroked his ears and fur. He heard soothing growls and moans that the wolf-eyed human emitted from deep within her own throat. He lay there, finally allowing himself to fall into a deep chasm of dreams, in the arms of a human who smelled of a she-wolf.

Sable continued to soothe the prone form of Remus. The potion had worked too late, knocking him out after transforming. She continued to stroke his fur until his head lolled to one side, signaling that he was deeply asleep. She rose up carefully from the floor, not wanting to wake him. She grabbed her wand out of her pants pocket, quickly using it to close the puncture wounds from his own teeth. That done, she pulled off her cloak and draped it over the now sleeping form of Remus Lupin. She sighed and shook her head, knowing that this boy was going through his own personal hell. Her thoughts strayed to her parents. _'I hope they are alright, wherever they're at.'_ she thought. She continued to stand by the form of Remus, oblivious to the other boys, thinking about how the world could possibly curse people as good as Remus and her parents into being creatures like this. _'It's so unfair, especially to them. They've never done anything to deserve this. It's just not fair.'_

She suddenly felt numerous hands grip her shoulders and waist in a death grip. She was pulled off of her feet and back down into the tunnel. She turned to the others, annoyed beyond belief. Sirius, James, and Peter were all fuming.

"What the Hell do you think you were doing, Sable?" James fumed.

"You could have gotten yourself killed! Or worse, bitten!" Sirius yelled.

"Sable, you've lost your mind! You know what Remus is capable of doing when he turns! What were you thinking?" Peter asked vehemently. Sable began to collect her thoughts a little more as the boys berated her for trying to help Remus. Finally, the tirade stopped and Sable could have her say in the matter.

"Well, thank you for your well placed concern, fellas. I really appreciate it." she said, "But I really didn't need it. Besides, I needed to find out some stuff for a potion that I am working on."

"What in Merlin's name is so important that you are willing to sacrifice your life, and Remus' mental stability, for it?" Sirius queried. "Especially if it is one of your ridiculous potions. I swear to Agrippa, you are as bad as that slimy Slytherin, Severus Snape! Always concocting some type of potion to experiment on someone."

Sirius immediately regretted that remark. Sable's eyes narrowed into amber slits. She was angry. Very angry. They knew that she never tested her potions on humans. Now Sirius, one of her supposed friends, was accusing her of just handing out experimental potions to anybody that happened to come by! In the dim light of the tunnel, James could see a red flush overtake her cheeks. She looked from one boy to the next, eyeing each one in turn. Her hands were clinched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. It took every fiber in her body not to hex Sirius into his afterlife for that remark.

"So, Sirius, " she said softly, almost hissing, "you're going to compare me to the Slytherins now, are you? Not that I'm complaining. I met Severus out in the greenhouses earlier today. It was quite interesting. Don't rag on them so badly, Sirius; some of them have very bright intellects, much better than your own." she sneered.

"Are you calling me stupid,Sabriel Robbins? And what in the heck are you doing in the greenhouses with Snape?" Sirius asked menacingly.

"No, there are plenty of others who do that for me. And it's none of your business what I was doing with Severus in the greenhouses. Trust me, it's nothing more than what YOU do out there." she answered cruelly. " I have news for you, Sirius, for all of you in fact. No matter how stupid you think I am, I had my reasons for coming here. If you don't believe me, when Remus awakens, ask him what he remembers of tonight. I'll bet he'll tell you that he didn't even have the urge to bite me. You see, unlike the rest of you, I really know what goes on in his head! I understand werewolves. And if you really want to know why I came down here tonight, you can ask him that too, because I'm not about to tell any of you!" She turned to walk off, but James caught her by the wrist. She turned to glare at the blue eyed boy, her eyes conveying her anger quite thoroughly.

"We have a right to know, Sable. He's just as much our friend as he is yours. What's going on?" he asked insistently. Sable jerked her hand away from James, and laughed cruelly. The other two boys standing behind him only stared at her with anger.

"You wouldn't believe me if I did tell you, James. Especially if you agree with Sirius about me being like Severus. You see, unlike him, I want to help people all of the time, not just when it is convenient for me. Like I said, if you want to know why I came down here, ask Remus when he wakes up. It's his decision as to whether or not you find out." She turned on her heel and left them to watch her retreating figure.

'How dare they question my actions. They have no right to do that.' she thought as she worked her way back through the tunnel and back into Hogwart's castle.

She came to the door that was the entrance into Hogwart's castle minutes later. She had decided to go to the Gryffindor tower to grab a few pillows and a blanket before returning to her potions room to be alone. She definitely didn't want to have a run in with any of the Marauders in the morning. She made it to the tower without incident. After saying the password, she entered into the deserted common room. Making her way over to Lily's bedroom, she opened the door without a sound, slipping insideto gather up a few of her belongings before slipping back out of the Common Room and down the corridors into the secret room right off of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She wasn't paying much attention to anything around her. She just had to get somewhere by herself to ponder all of the mess she had gotten herself into. She pulled out the little silver key and said the password to the suit of armor. It slid out of the way, revealing a door of wood. Sable fitted the key into the slot and opened the door silently. She entered the room, completely oblivious to the pair of eyes that had followed her from the corridors of the transfiguration hallway. They watched until the door shut with a definite click. Then, they disappeared into the murky shadows of the abandoned hallway, heading straight for the dungeons.

* * *

Back at the Shrieking Shack, James and Peter were surprised at the shouting match between Sirius and Sable. They had expectedSirius to be mad, but this was ridiculous. Sirius was still ranting when they entered the shack again. Remus was still sleeping, his body covered by Sable's cloak. 

"Sirius, calm down. Everyone is alright. Nobody got hurt, and Remus is fine." Peter said, getting tired of Sirius' ranting.

"But what was she doing down here? She knows what Remus turns into on a full moon, and thanks to her the transformations aren't getting any easier for him!" he bellowed. It was a good thing that Remus was asleep due to a potion because Sirius' yells could wake the dead.

"She did help, Sirius." James consoled. "She gave him the potion that's put him to sleep. At least he won't be awake when he changes back."

"Sirius, you need to understand that the girl is a wolf herself," Peter tried to explain. "She knows what it's like to go through this, we don't."

"Yeah, we'll see about that when the time comes." Sirius snorted. James shook his head and reverted back to his Animagi form. It was going to be a long night. And he had a feeling that tomorrow was not going to be very pleasant for any of them. He laid down on the wooded floor, and watched as Peter and Sirius reverted back to their own forms. _'At least we don't have to hear Sirius gripe when we are in our Animagi forms.'_ James thought with a grin.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer : Not mine, never was.

* * *

Wolf's Bane 

Chapter 8

The Cold Shoulder

* * *

Sable woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. She rolled over on the bed, trying to go back to sleep. It was no use. The sunlight as streaming through the window, making her squint her eyes as she got out of bed. Finally deciding that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, she got out of bed and pulled on a shirt, jeans, and sneakers. All the time she was cursing whoever it was that made getting up in the mornings so hard. She brushed out her hair, and pulled it into a messy ponytail. Throughout her routine, she thought about the night before.

The boys had been livid, Remus had been out cold, and Lily was probably worried sick when she hadn't come back to the dorm last night. _'Great, I've got them all mad at me, and it's only the second day of term!' _she thought glumly. She wanted nothing more than to stay holed up in her room, away from everyone else. However, her empty stomach was having its own ideas. _'Guess it's time to eat.'_ It was early, too early for any of the Marauders to be out and about. Lily, however, was another story. _'Just hope I don't run into her between now and then.'_ She walked over to the tapestry and pushed it out of the way, working the silver key into the hole. She listened carefully for any sounds of people coming before slipping out from behind the armor and making her way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

* * *

Remus woke up stiff and cold. He was back in his human form, lying on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. He glanced around and noticed the others, sleeping. The mess around the room also caught his attention. The sun was up and he could see the boxes that had been knocked down last night. The window sill was scratched and there was something red staining the bare floors. He sat up, pulling the cloak from around his body. Quickly dismissing the garment as either James' or Sirius', he stretched carefully, expecting his muscles to be tight and sore from the transformation. 

Nothing.

He yawned and blinked, confused. He moved his hands over arms and legs, expecting to find scratches and rips on the skin.

Nothing.

In fact, he felt like he had just waken from a peaceful night's sleep. _'Weird.'_ he thought. He sat on a nearby box and looked out to the streets. People were beginning to rise and begin their morning chores. He heard Sirius yawn, and looked over to see the shaggy black dog carefully get up. He walked over to the others and nudged them, sufficiently waking them up. Remus watched as the three boys transformed back into their human forms with three distinct 'pops'. Sirius immediately let out a yell and fell to one knee, clutching his shoulder. Remus, James, and Peter went to him quickly trying to figure out what was wrong. Sirius let out a stream of curses that would have made McGonagall blush scarlet for a month.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" Remus asked quickly, filled with concern. "What happened?" He pulled his hand back from Sirius shoulder, paling instantly at the sight of congealed blood. He stepped back and shook his head in confusion, not knowing why it was there. James regained his senses more quickly and grabbed the formerly discarded cloak. Holding it up to Sirius' shoulder, it temporarily stopped the new flow of blood. "What happened?" he asked again.

"Nothing." Sirius replied quickly. "You just scratched me last night when we started tussling. That's all."

"Why were we fighting?" Remus asked again, trying to recall exactly what had happened. He vaguely remembered seeing his friends change into their Animagi forms, then hearing a lone howl. A picture of someone in blue jeans and a blue shirt popped in his mind, but he couldn't see a face. He remembered feeling a sense of security from the person. He only shook his head in confusion.

"Don't know, mate," James said. "You seemed to be trying to eat yourself up last night. Sirius tried to stop you, but ended up getting scratched before Sable's potion took affect." He took the cloak away from Sirius shoulder and grabbed his wand. "Hold these so I can clean this up." he said, holding the stained robes out to anyone who would take them. Remus took the proffered garment and stared at it for a moment. The others fidgeted as they cleaned up the shack. Something was different._ 'There's something they're not telling me.' _he thought suddenly. He turned the bloodied cloak over in his hands, trying to find a name.

"Who's cloak is this, guys?" he asked. Peter stepped forward and reached his hand out for the cloth.

"It's no one's Remus. We found it on the floor of the shack after you changed. Let me see it and I'll get rid of it. It's no good with all of the stains in it now." he said, holding out his hand for the cloak. Remus frowned and held onto the cloak.

"Who's is it? I don't remember it being in here the last time we were here." he said firmly. "There's something you aren't telling me about last night. What happened? And where did this cloak come from?"

The three boys looked at each other in turn, debating on telling Remus the truth now or later. Finally, Peter stepped forward.

"It's Sable's cloak. She came down here last night, trying to find you..."

* * *

Severus Snape and Cody Flint were the only Slytherin seventh years present in the dining hall when Sable entered. They both eyed her carefully, remembering their own previous encounters with the girl. Some how, she had earned their respect over the years. Flint had been surprised with her moves on the Quidditch field two years ago. He quickly pondered the possibility of her playing for the house team, but dismissed it when he remembered that there were no openings on the Gryffindor team. He smirked at his own team's good fortune and turned his attention back to his food. 

Severus Snape, however, was more enamored with her because of her extensive knowledge of his favorite subject, Potions. If the two Potions students ever decided to put their inter house rivalries aside, they could do some major damage with their combined knowledge. He watched as she sat down near the rest of the Gryffindors. She seemed to be a little jumpy and in a hurry, which puzzled him. It also struck him as odd that her other friends were not around. He went back to eating his own breakfast, every now and again glancing towards the rival house table. _'It's a pity she was put in Gryffindor. She could have been such an asset to Slytherin House. And it would make my job a little easier.'_ he thought wryly.

* * *

Sable finished her meal in record time, and excused herself from the others. She got up to leave, but a quick sighting of an extremely flustered red-headed Head Girl made her exit out of one of the side doors. Sable didn't want to deal with Lily right now, especially a mad Lily. She sprinted back to the DADA hallway and slipped into her room without anyone the wiser. Now, with a content tummy, she set out to work on another batch of the numbing potion she had given to Remus last night. Since the plan hadn't worked out like they wanted it to, Sable began thinking of other ways to test to see if she was immune. The only other way she could think of was contaminating her own blood with that of Remus'. 

_'If I had a smear of my blood, a smear of Remus', and a smear of a non-infected person's blood as a base sample, I could try to infect the base sample using some of Remus' blood. That should cause the base example to become infected. Now, if I put the rest of Remus' blood and my own together, it should mix, but not infect my cells. But that's only if I am truly immune. If I'm not immune, my cells will be infected from the active form of lycanthropy present in Remus' cells.' She grabbed a Muggle microscope and began to calibrate it carefully. 'Now how am I going to get the samples? That's going to be fun!'_ she thought sarcastically

She grabbed a Muggle microscope and began to calibrate it carefully. 

Once she had the microscope set correctly, she set it aside and went to her supply closet where the extra potions components were stored. She pulled out the needed ingredients and began to make another batch of the numbing potion she had given Remus before. She knew it was going to be a long day, and settled on seeing the others the next day in class.

* * *

Remus and James got Sirius up to the hospital wing and to Pomfrey soon after entering the castle. Pomfrey checked Remus over, surprised to find no bite marks or scratches at all. When she saw the ill concealed wound on Sirius, she questioned its origin. However, he told her that he had been flying too low on his broom and been cut open by a rather sharp tree branch. Pomfrey had looked dubious, but released the two from the hospital wing, telling them to go eat breakfast. When they were out of earshot, the chatter picked up. 

"Remus, why was Sable down there last night?" James asked. "She wouldn't tell us."

"Well guys," he began slowly, "you see it's difficult to explain."

"We've got all day." Sirius replied stiffly.

"I think she should be here to help me explain it. I don't quite understand everything myself." he admitted.

"What are you talking about?" James asked, "You mean to tell us that something is going on, and you don't know what it is?"

"Well, here is the basics," Remus said quietly, "Sable thinks that she may have found a potion that can help people like me retain their mental stability when they change. But we're not sure if it works or not." Sirius and James stopped dead in their tracks, staring at the boy, then broke out into identical maniacal grins.

"You are kidding us?" James asked happily.

"That's great, Remus!" Sirius whooped. "When will she have the potion ready?" Unfortunately, Remus shook his head sadly.

"She doesn't have it. It's too complicated for me to explain, even after Treble's lessons. Let's get something to eat, then find her. She'll explain it better than me. Besides, I think our Head Girl might want an explanation about last night." Remus said, seeing a very perturbed Lily Evans coming their way, followed by Peter.

"Great." James sighed, "Lily's in a bad mood. I'll be in the proverbial dog house by the end of the day! All compliments of our dear friend, Sable." The other boys grinned, knowing the red-head's fiery temper.

After breakfast, and a quick explanation to Lily, they all went back to the dorms to retrieve the Marauder's Map. James brought it out of his trunk and unfolded it carefully. He set it on the trunk and everyone gathered around it.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." he muttered. The blank parchment slowly began to take the shape of the Hogwart's layout as the lines snaked and wove their way across the parchment. The five teens looked on the map for a little dot named Sable Robbins, but it wasn't there. They all scanned the paper again, but they couldn't find her anywhere on the map.

"Where is she?" Lily asked.

"I don't know." James said. "If she were on the grounds, she'd be on the map."

"Maybe she went for a walk in the forest." Peter suggested.

"She wouldn't do that. She won't go in there by herself, she knows better." Remus said quickly. "Besides that, she's terrified of that forest."

"Well, if any of us are going to find out why she was in Hogsmeade last night, we need to find her." Sirius said.

"Let's split up." Lily suggested. "We can cover more ground that way." The boys nodded and waited or instructions. "Peter and James, you've got the two top floors of the castle. Sirius, you go outside, see if she's out there. Remus, you've got the first two floors. I'll take the House common rooms and the dungeons. We'll meet back here in two hours. If anyone finds her before then, just bring her back here."

Remus was looking in every classroom on the second floor when he heard someone's voice. He looked around carefully, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. He walked further down the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor, following the sound. It seemed to be coming from the wall in front of him, but he couldn't figure out how to get to it. There were no passages he knew of down this particular corridor. _"Must be Peeves trying to play a trick on me."_ he thought. He glanced back up at the suit of armor where the sound was coming from. He was annoyed with Sable. She wasn't even supposed to go to Hogsmeade last night. He turned back toward the hall entrance, intent on going to the rest of the floor to search.

"Damn it, Sable!" he cursed loudly. "If you weren't already a ranula, I'd put you through Hell and then some for making us worry like this!" He took two steps, and stopped. A scraping noise could be heard faintly in the silence. He glanced back over his shoulder when he heard the sound of a statue scraping across the stone floor. It moved slowly, revealing a wooden door. He eyed the entrance suspiciously. Gathering up his courage, he pulled out his wand and walked over to the door.

"_Alohomora." _he said. The door slid open, revealing a small hallway with a tapestry covering the other entrance. He slid into the corridor, cautious as to what he might find. The voice was coming from the other side of the cloth. He stood there, transfixed by it. Suddenly, the wooden door swung shut behind him, sticking his back to the now closed door, and him facing the tapestry. He heard the armor slide back into place after the door clicked shut. _"What have I gotten myself into this time?"_ he asked himself.

* * *

James caught up with Peter as he ran up to the top floor of the castle. James had been watching the map for a sign of Sable when he saw Remus disappear form the map in the DADA hallway. He had suddenly remembered all of the kidnappings and disappearances that had been happening in the wizarding world lately. People had been coming up missing for going into two months, for no apparent reasons. The bodies of two witches had been found outside of Devonshire two weeks ago, at least what had been left. They had been discovered by a group of Muggles who had been walking through the town. Supposedly, the two bodies had been ruled as the sporadic murders of two innocent girls by some psycho Muggle killer.

However, everyone in the wizarding world new better. There had been rumors going around of a group of powerful wizards who had started to rise up against the lawful people of the magical world. These men and women were power hungry, and ready to take down anyone in their way. No one knew much about them, but rumors often had a slim basis of truth. It was rumored that these dark wizards were looking to recruit the younger generations, especially anyone who had particular talents or a strong ambition for power or wealth.

"What's going on, James? What's wrong?" Peter asked quickly.

"Remus just disappeared off of the map!" he said breathlessly. Peter looked astounded, and then worried.

"What? That's not possible!"

"Well, he just did it. Go to the DADA hallway, about half way down. Do whatever, just try to find him."

"Where are you going?"

"To find Sirius and Lily!"

Peter made his way down the stairs and into the DADA hallway. Like James said, he walked down the hallway halfway and whispered Remus' name loudly. Five minutes later, he heard Sirius and James come pounding down the hallway with Lily in tow.

"Did you find him yet?" Lily asked suddenly.

Peter shook his head, and the others joined in the search. Unfortunately, their excessive amount of noise was anything but quiet. Remus heard when everyone arrived in the hallway. He also heard the singing stop as someone, undoubtedly Peter, crashed into a suit of armor, sending it to the ground. He heard the person move towards the tapestry, and his breath caught. He was stuck with his back to the wall and an unknown person coming from the other way. He clutched his wand, his heart rate speeding up.

* * *

Sable didn't know what the racket outside the room was, but she intended to find out. She grabbed her wand, and moved to the entrance, pulling back the thick tapestry. As light illuminated the little dark corridor, she gasped when she saw Remus standing in the hallway. He had his wand pointed at her, but he relaxed when he saw her face. 

"What the Hell?" Sable said, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What are you doing here, Remus? Come to tease and taunt me like Sirius did?"

Remus looked temporarily stunned, not knowing where that had come from.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

"What are you doing here? How'd you get in?" she pressed on, becoming extremely agitated.

"I could ask you the same about last night." he said tersely, eyeing the girl.

Sable stared blankly at the boy. She knew that Sirius, James, or Peter would have already told him about her appearance at the Shrieking Shack last night, but she figured she would have stayed hidden until he got over his anger with her. The two teenagers faced each other with stony glares; each one daring the other to look away in defeat.

"Why'd you do it, Sable?" Remus said, still staring at her. "I thought I told you to stay in the Tower."

Sable looked away, finally breaking away from his piercing gaze, and focused her eyes on the floor. She was upset. She had tried to help, and it fell apart at the seams. Her sadness was suddenly overcome by swift anger, and she rounded on the unsuspecting boy.

"What's it to you?" she asked sarcastically. This time, it was Remus' turn to stare. A sudden bell sounded in his head and he grimaced, '_WARNING! WARNING! MOOD SWINGS DUE TO THE FULL MOON. FIGHT AT YOUR OWN RISK!'_

"What do you mean 'what's it to you?'?" he countered. "It means everything to me. What do you think I wanted to do, bite you? I know that your work is important to you, but not so important that you risk your life! You mean too much to everyone for that to happen!" Sable, surprised with the sudden admittance, felt warm tears begin to form in her eyes. She turned away from him and inconspicuously wiped them away.

"I can do whatever the Hell I bloody well want to, thank you very much." she snapped. She heard the voices of James and Sirius as they called out, trying to locate the lost Remus. Remus looked on as Sable began to fidget. He knew she wanted to help people like him, but he didn't want her to get hurt in the process. He lowered his voice and tried again..

"Sable, please, I realized how much you work on your research, and I do realize how much it means to you." He walked over to her, gently putting his hands on her shoulders. "But no one wants you to get hurt, especially me. I'm sorry that I yelled, but I got worried when I couldn't find you. I thought something might have happened to you."

Sable hung her head in shame. She knew everyone was worried about her, but she didn't realize exactly how much. The recent attacks and abductions on witches and wizards had everyone in a state of heightened alert. Obviously, even the Hogwart's students had been affected as well.

"I'm sorry, too. Most of this is my fault." Sable said quietly. "I shouldn't have went to the Shrieking Shack last night, I know. But I had to find out if I would be bitten. That is the only thing that is standing in my way to make this potion. I have to find out. I am sorry that I blew my top. But I haven't been around any of you guys in two years; I've kind of forgotten how we all used to watch each other's backs."

"It's alrighte. Just don't give us this kind of scare again." Remus wrapped his arms around the girl and gave her a quick hug, hoping to reassure her.

"Well, now that we're on the subject," she said, "How did you manage to get in here?" Remus smiled and let her go. He wasn't even sure how he had gotten in.

"Well, this is how it happened." he began, " After breakfast, we all went up to the dorms for the Marauder's Map. When we couldn't find you on it, we all split up to look for you. I got the second floor. Well, when I got about halfway down here, I heard someone's voice; I am assuming in was yours. So I stood in front of the statue, and just looked at it. When I couldn't find out how to get in, I turned to leave. But the next thing I realized, the statue was moving. I unlocked the hidden door and then went in. You found me a few minutes later."

"But how did you know the password to make the statue move? No one knows about this room. It's not even on the map, that's how come I didn't show up. This is one of the only rooms you guys haven't found yet. If the room isn't drawn in on the map, then whoever is in it doesn't show up."

"I don't know, I don't remember saying anything when I stood there."

"Well you had to have said something, or the statue wouldn't have moved. Did you say anything at all, or even mumble something?" Sable asked. Remus thought quickly, then remembered threatening her when he turned around in the hall. He figured she would change the password one way or the other if he told her, so he did.

"Yeah, I did say something now that I think about it." he admitted sheepishly.

"I am not even going to ask what it is." Sable grinned. "But it obviously had the password in it, whatever it was." Remus nodded and smiled at her.

"So when were you going to tell us about this little room of yours?" he asked as he walked around the cauldrons that had been set up.

"Well, I don't know." she admitted. "I wasn't going to tell anyone actually." Remus looked at her like she was crazy.

"Don't you think it would have been a little suspicious when you just started disappearing and we couldn't find you on the map?" he asked.

"Well, probably, but I was hoping it wouldn't come to that. I need a place to work on my potions, and I don't want anyone to interfere with them. Dumbledore's letting me use this room as a lab so I don't have to work in the dungeons. So please don't tell anyone else." she all but begged.

"You really weren't going to tell any of us, were you?" Remus questioned in disbelief.

"Probably not," she said simply. "Oh, don't give me that look, Remus Lupin! You know as well as I do that if Peter or Sirius knew about this place, they'd be dumping all kinds of stuff in these cauldrons as a prank. There's no telling what would happen. And lets not even get Lily and James involved in this!"

"Well, what about me? Were you going to tell me?" he asked slyly.

"Maybe I would have, and then again, maybe not." she said. Remus feigned insult and grinned.

"We would have figured it out anyways, you know." he said. "We would have found you eventually."

"Just please don't tell anyone, not yet." she said. "I am going to tell Lily and James, because they are the Heads, and I'll be moving out of the dorms soon, anyways." Remus looked at her with an odd expression, hoping she would explain. "There is another room over there, were I can put a bed. Instead of taking up all of the others rooms in the dorms, Dumbledore's allowing me to move all of my stuff down here."

"Dumbledore's letting you do that?" he asked incredously. Sable nodded and walked over to the tapestry, motioning for him to follow.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we've got to figure out how to get them away from the door long enough for us to get out." Remus pushed her gently to one side and peered through the rather large keyhole. James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily were walking up and down the hallway, calling for him.

"That's easy. But how do we explain that I just jumped off of the Marauder's Map?" Sable thought for a moment, then smiled.

"You met me coming down the hallway. I was trying out a new potion. An undetectable potion that makes you undetectable from anything. I gave you some, and you took it, therefore making you jump off of the map. _Voila. _Problem solved." she said quickly. "Now how do we get out of here?"

"Just like this." he said. Remus pulled out his wand and recited a quick spell while pointing it through the keyhole and out into the corridor. The sparks quickly found the map lying on the floor. The four friends looking for Remus never noticed it. The map glowed for a moment, then James picked it up. Remus put his wand in his robes and smiled. Sable looked confused, but said nothing. Soon, they all heard James yelling.

"They're in the Common Room!" He yelled.

"What?" "How'd they get there?" and other stunned answers were heard. Sirius grabbed the map, looking for the tell-tale dots. Sure enough, there were two little dots in the Gryffindor Common Room labeled _R. Lupin _and_ M. Robbins._

"When I get a hold of that girl..." Sirius began cursing like a madman until Lily gave him a reproachful glare. Then he promptly shut up.

"Well," Lily began calmly, "now that we know they're both okay, we can find out exactly what happened. Let's go." She began walking out of the hallway with the boys close on her trail. They rounded the corner and Sable could still hear Sirius complaining as she and Remus came out of the entrance. As soon as her feet were on the ground, Remus grabbed her hand and started pulling her in the opposite direction.

"We're not out of the woods yet. We've still got to get to the tower before them. Good thing I know a short-cut!" He pulled her through passageways she didn't even know existed before pushing her into the common room in Gryffindor Tower. They made it to the couch and sat down in a huff. Thirty seconds later, the portrait door swung open, emitting a rather loud Sirius Black. Sable put on an impassive face and watched as Black bodily pushed some first years out of the way, trying to get to the couch she was sitting on. He finally made it to the couch, glaring daggers at both of its occupants.

"Where in the bloody hell have you been, Sable? You too, Remus!" he bellowed. Lily and Peter walked up to them with questioning glances. Remus looked at his friends carefully, not trusting himself to speak. He refused to lie to the others, so he stayed silent. Sable took his silence as a key opportunity.

"Is there something wrong, Sirius? You seem a little flustered." she asked innocently. Remus managed to hide a laugh at her tactics, and remained silent. _'What a good way to start a conversation, piss him off even more!' _Remus thought.

"Sable," Lily said soothingly, trying to calm everyone down, "you have some explaining to do about your actions."

"I know I do , and I'm prepared to answer all of them, and any other questions you may have."

"WELL GET STARTED ALREADY!" Sirius bellowed, causing more stares in his direction. Sable glared at him icily.

"Would you like me to discuss my actions last night with you? Okay fine, I'll start there. But I don't think I should be in the middle of the Common Room while I'm doing it. People don't need to know stuff like that." she said smoothly.

"We can use the Common Room in the Head's dorms." James said quickly, ushering the group out. "Come on." They all stood up and walked to the back of the room where a portrait of Godric Gryffindor hung. James gave the password and the six teens stepped into the lavishly furnished common room. They all took a seat, and waited expectantly as Sable began her explanation.

Sable settled down into a plush, crimson colored chair and waited for everyone else to settle in before she began her story. When five pairs of expectant eyes met hers, she knew they were ready.

"Okay guys, let's see if I can't explain a couple of things to you. It starts like this. Over the summer, I happened to get my hands on a copy of an old Celtic potion book that the Ministry of Magic in America had. I translated the text and found something that I think may be useful to Remus." She stopped and looked around at the surprised looks on everyone's face. She smiled and continued. "I think I may have found a potion that helps werewolves, retain their mental capabilities when they transform during a full moon. But, I need a key ingredient. I need the blood of an animal that is completely immune to a werewolf's bite. I did some research and found out that I may be the only creature alive that is immune to a werewolf bite. This little capability is courtesy of my parents. Because I am the offspring of two people who were infected by the same wolf at the same time, my blood is the same as that of a natural born she-wolf. So, my body has learned to live with the lycanthropy protein present in my blood."

"That still doesn't explain why you came to the Shrieking Shack last night." Peter countered. Sable nodded and continued.

"I was getting to that part. Chill out. Okay, I told Remus about the potion yesterday at lunch. He told me not to go the Shrieking Shack, but I was going to anyway. He figured that I would go down there anyway last night, just to see if I could get bitten and infected. Well, thanks to the rest of you, that little plan didn't work out. And I'm here to tell all of you that I am really sorry about that. I guess I've been away from you guys so long, I forgot how protective you are of each other. Like I said, I'm really sorry about last night."

"It's alright, you're safe now. And no one else is worse for wear, other than a missed night's sleep." James said. " So, if the potion you are working on calls for the blood of an immune person, how are you going to find it. It's too dangerous for you to get bitten. No one knows what could possibly happen if you did. So, is there any other way?"

"Well, there is a Muggle way of doing it." Sable said quickly. "But, I would need three different blood samples: one from Remus, one from me, and one from a person who has absolutely no trace of lycanthropy in their system." This seemed to peak everyone's interest. Remus finally spoke up,

"How would we find out with that?" Remus asked

"Well, the Muggles call in cross matching. I would take a smear of a base blood sample and mix it with a drop of Remus' blood. According to theory, the active lycanthropy in Remus' blood should infect the healthy blood cells of the base sample. Now, my blood cells are different. When I mix them with Remus', my cells shouldn't become infected. At least that is the basic theory behind the experiment."

Everyone seemed to be contemplating the idea. Sable took a breath and waited for the next question, which would undoubtedly be about her and Remus' disappearance that morning. Surprisingly though, it never came up.

"Sable," Lily began carefully, "If the potion calls forblood, you do realize that's considered Dark Magic. And you know practicing Dark Magic has been outlawed for years in the wizarding world."

"I understand that, but this potion is different." Sable said. "The book that I got this potion out of was written by the Celtic druids of long ago. It was written during a time of magical upheaval when Dark Magic was just beginning to evolve. Up until that time, blood had been used in many potions that were required to help our kind. The Celtic druids were considered healer wizards then, and they kept their remedies completely secret from the rest of the world. The remedies were passed down through the centuries by word of mouth until someone decided to write them down. Well, the followers of the Dark Magic stole the books of remedies, potions, spells, incantations, anything they could get their hands on. The followers of the Dark soon exposed the druid's secrets. From then on, any potion that called for blood was labeled as Dark Magic. And when the Dark Magic practices were banned thousands of years ago, the secrets of the Druids went down the drain. They were completely lost to everyone, save for the original books that had been written. Well, the entire set of Celtic books have disintegrated over time. The American Ministry had the only surviving one, until I borrowed it. And that is where the potion came from."

"So what you are saying is that this potion is not labeled as dark magic?" Remus asked. Sablenodded.

"And if you don't believe me, go ask Dumbledore. He knows everything about this. The potion. The book. The Druids. Everything."

"So when are you going to start on your experiment to find out if you are immune?" Peter asked.

"As soon as everyone has had time to think it over." Sable said. "I can't just forcibly take blood from Remus and another person. Besides, it's just as much his decision as anyone's." She said, nodding to Remus.

"Hey, if all you need is some blood, I'll give you every bit that I can!" he said. Sable smiled and shook her head. _'Leave it to him to make this sound easy.' _she thought quietly.

"What about the base sample?" Sirius asked.

"It can be anyone who has never actually been in contact with Remus' blood. It doesn't matter who it is, as long as they have never been exposed to the lycanthropy before."

"Will one of us work?" Peter asked. "I mean, the three of us have been around him during the transformations, but I don't think we've ever come into contact with the blood, before last night at any rate."

"That's true." James admitted. "Other than that escapade last night with Sirius, we've never even been scratched by you, Remus."

"I don't think that would be good." Sirius said quickly. "Believe it or not, the three of us have had some sort of contact with his blood at some point in time. Especially right after we became Animagi. Remus would cut and claw at himself all night, and the blood would get all over us."

"He's got a point." Lily said. "You guys have came back more than once with blood on your clothes."

"So, are there any volunteers?" Sable asked brightly, feigning a happy attitude.

"I'll do it." Lily said quickly. Everyone else looked a little stunned. "Now don't give me those looks, you guys. I've never been around when he changes. The rest of you dunderheads have. I think it would be safer for me to be the base sample since I've never been around him."

"That does make the most amount of sense." Sable admitted.

"When do we do it?" Remus questioned.

"As soon as you want to. It's completely up to you guys. All I need to get is a few glass slides and something sharp to prick your fingers with. I've already got the microscope set up." Sable said.

"How about now. Now's as good as ever." Lily said. Remus nodded and smiled. He seemed a little nervous for some reason. He kept shifting and turning in the chair. Sable looked at him carefully before getting up from her chair.

"I'll go get the slides and something sharp." she said. She walked out of the portrait hole and went to get the supplies. Remus watched her go and wondered if this was going to work. He turned around to face his friends and was met with varying looks from all of them.

"What? What'd I do?" he asked.

"What's going on with her, Remus?" James asked seriously.

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked, completely confused.

"Is it just me, or does she seem a little different from the last time we saw her?" Peter asked. The others nodded their heads in agreement, except Lily. Remus was surprised at their actions.

"What are you guys talking about? She seems fine to me." he said. "Other than the mood swings."

"Remus, there is something different about that girl. I don't know what it is, but there is something different. She never used to hide stuff from us before.Why start now?" Sirius said.

"Guys, you have to take into consideration that she has been away from us for a while." Remus said hotly.

"We have all changed since we were all last together." Lily said. "But, I'm like Remus. She seems to be all in all the same. Don't worry about her. If anything is wrong, she'll tell us before it gets out of hand."

"I'm not so sure anymore." Sirius said quietly. "She just doesn't seem the same. First the Shrieking Shack, then disappearing this morning. It's not like her to run from something. And she was running this morning."

"Well," Remus said defensively, "If I had an ugly bloke like you yelling at me about last night, I'd run too." Sirius looked taken back at his comment, but said nothing. Remus could see that he was going to get nowhere with the others. "Look, lets just wait. Like Lily said, if there is anything wrong we'll know soon enough." The other boys nodded and said nothing else. There was a knock at the portrait hole and the unmistakable voice of Sable coming from the outside.

"Hey guys, let me in! I don't know the password!" she yelled. James grinned and went to open the portrait for the girl. Sable came in with a small red bag. She went over to the group and pulled out a microscope and six different glass slides. She set the instrument up on a nearby table and put the slides in rows of three. _'Oh, Merlin,' _she thought, _'please let this work. Please. I can't stand to see people like Remus go through Hell just because of a stupid bite he got fifty million years ago.'_ She reached back into the bag and pulled out a small needle and an alcohol swab.

"What will you have to do?" James asked. He didn't like the idea of Lily bleeding at all.

"All I have to do is puncture the skin and get enough blood to put on two of these slides." she said. "After that, I can run the test." She saw the concerned look on James' face and smiled. "It's alright James, it's not like I'm gonna drain her dry or anything. I'm a werewolf, not a vampire!"

"That's it?" Peter asked. Sable nodded and turned to Remus and Lily.

"Alright, who's first?" she asked. Lily came forward and rolled up the arm of her robes.

"I'll go first." she said. Sable nodded and motioned for her to sit down on the couch. Sable used the alcohol swab to clean the needle and a patch of skin on Lily's forearm. She drew the needle back and punctured the skin on Lily's arm with one swift motion. She felt Lily flinch as the needle punctured her soft skin. A small trickle of blood was soon seeping out of the small hole. Sable quickly grabbed two slides and put a small amount of blood on each one. Then, she used another cotton swab to clean the puncture sight and used her wand to stop the little bit of bleeding. She labeled the slides with Lily's name on them and set them aside.

"Now see, that wasn't so bad. Was it?" she said with a smile. James shot her a death glare and went to see if Lily was really okay.

Sable smiled and Lily moved so that Remus could sit next to her. She pulled out another needle as Remus pulled up the sleeve of his robes. Using the alcohol swab she cleaned a small area and repeated the process on him that she did with Lily. She was surprised to note that he didn't even move when she punctured the skin. _'That's odd, they usually at least flinch.'_ she thought. She cleaned his puncture sight and grabbed another needle, repeating the process on herself.

Now that she had all of the samples in front of her, she had to find a way of getting them down to her lab without everyone else knowing. A sudden idea struck her. She turned to Sirius and Peter and smiled.

"Guys, can you do me a favor?" she asked. "I need some warm water from the kitchens for this to work. Do you mind going and getting it?" Sirius and Peter looked a little confused, but agreed to go and get the needed water. Remus smiled, knowing that she was about to tell James and Lily about her secret room. As soon as they were out of the portrait hole, Sable turned to Lily and James.

"Alright, there is one other thing I need to tell you while they are out of here." she said quickly. Lily and James looked confused, but said nothing. "Dumbledore's allowed me to use an old classroom as a lab so I don't have to work on my potions research in the dungeons where everyone can get their hands on it. I need to get these samples down there, but I don't want anyone else to know about it. Remus already knows, that's where he found me this morning. I am also going to move all of my stuff out of Lily's room and put it down there since there is an extra room for a bedroom. That way, I won't be taking up anymore of you guys space."

"Why don't you want Sirius and Peter to know? And have you cleared all of this through the Headmaster?" James asked, a little hurt that he had to keep a secret from two of his friends.

"Yes, I have. And think about it, James." Sable said. "That would be a field day for Sirius. He would love to get in there and try to blow something up, and you know it. Some of those potions are experimental, and extremely dangerous for people who don't know what they're doing. And you know as well as I do that Peter's best subject is Herbology, not Potions. So I think it would be safe for _everyone _if those two don't know about it."

"Yeah, you know what Sirius is liable to do if he finds all of that stuff." Remus said with a smile. "There won't be a bottom floor to this castle because he'll blow it up." James nodded in agreement, knowing that if Sirius found out, all hell would break loose.

"Is that why you didn't show up on the map this morning?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, the room I was in isn't drawn in on the map. So I didn't show up on it. When Remus disappeared, he had found his way into the room. That's what made him disappear off of the map." she explained quickly.

"Well, if Dumbledore's allowed it, then there is nothing anyone can say about it. The only thing I want to know is where the room is and the password to get into the room, incase we need you for something." Lily said.

"Fine." she said. "You remember where you guys were this morning in the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway. The sixth suit of armor on the right hand side is the entrance into the room. The password is '_ranula_'. I don't plan on changing it anytime soon, but if I do I'll tell you." James and Lily nodded and watched as she gathered up the specimens, putting them in a small plastic container that kept them all divided. She put the needles back into the bag and snapped it shut.

"Let me run these down to the lab and I'll be right back." she said quickly.

"Can't you run the test right here?" James asked. "It doesn't seem like it is that complicated. And the other two are going to get suspicious if they come back and you aren't here."

"I can, but it's going to take a while before I have the results. I'll leave it if you don't mind the clutter." she said.

"How long will it take?" Remus asked. He was more than anxious to find out the results.

"I should have it done before today is over with. It doesn't take long for the cells to infect one another." Just then, the portrait to the Head's common room swung open to admit Sirius and Peter with a cup of hot water in all four hands. It was a comical sight, watching the two boys walk carefully to keep the hot water from sloshing over the sides of the cups and hitting there skin. They deposited the cups on the table and Sable immediately set out to work.

Figuring she wouldn't be able to find a way to get to her lab, she set out to work immediately. Everyone else moved out of her way and became very quiet. She cleaned the base of the microscopes with the warm water and threw away the dusty clothes she had used to clean it. She calibrated the microscope and put one of the slides under it. It was the slide of Lily's blood. She noted the appearance of the cells in a little notebook and then added a small amount of Remus' blood to the microscope slide. She then grabbed another microscope out of her bag and set it on the table next to the other. She pulled out a slide with her blood on it and pushed it under the scope. After noting the subtle differences in the shape and size of the cells in her notebook, she added some of Remus' blood to her own. She set the slide back under the scope and looked again. Nothing seemed to be happening, not yet anyway.

She leaned back into a chair and rubbed her eyes. Using microscopes always gave her a headache. She opened her eyes and noticed that everyone was staring at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Well, what do you know?" Peter said. "Are you immune or not?" Sable smiled and shook her head.

"I can't tell you right now." she said. "It usually takes a few hours for the cells to be infected. Leave them alone for a while and I'll check on them later. Give it about two hours and I'll know by then."

Everyone looked anxious, but didn't move. Sable knew they would stay right there until they had answers. She smiled at them.

"Everyone of you need to get out of here and let me do my job. I can't work with five pairs of eyes looking over my shoulder. Now get out, all of you." she said playfully. She got up and proceeded to push Sirius out of the portrait hole. He tried to resist, but Sable used her leverage to push him out the hole. Everyone else followed suite, except Remus. He hid behind a couch and waited for Sable to get everyone else out.

"Come back in two hours, and I'll give you an answer. Now get lost." She said as she shut the door to the room. James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily seemed a little put out, but soon left the dorms, each heading off to find something to do. They all knew that she would have an answer soon enough. So they left her to her own devices for the time being. Sirius and James decided to head to the Quidditch pitch. Lily went to the Great Hall to speak with some of the other professors. And Peter went somewhere, no one really knew where he went when he wasn't with the others.

Sable was happy to finally work in peace. She went back over to the scopes and settled down onto the couch. She knew it wouldn't take more than fifteen or twenty minutes before she had her answer, but she needed some time by herself. After being gone from Hogwart's for two years, she had been used to being by herself the whole time. Basically, she lived like a hermit, away from other people. But here, she couldn't help it. All of her friends were around the entire time, it was weird. She grabbed her notebook and began scribbling a few notes in it. _'This is going to be a long year.'_ she thought, _' A very long year.'_

* * *

**A/N** - Howdy peeps. How's ya'll doin'? -Oops, sorry, country accent coming out again. I keep trying to get rid of it, but it won't go away!- Anyway, how was the chapter? I hope you liked it.

By the way, if the explanation for the test she is going to do is a little off the wall, I'm sorry. I'm no medical technologist or laboratory worker so I'm just going off of what I learned in my genetics class. If you have a problem understanding, the easiest way to explain it is that a werewolves' blood has a certain protein in it (at least in my story it does). She is trying to see if the protein will transfer to another person's cells. The protein should infect a non-infected person (say, for instance, Dumbledore or in this case, Lily) but according to theory, it shouldn't infect her own blood because she already carries a dormant form of the disease in her blood because of her parents. Confusing, I know. But bare with me, please.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, except for Sable. She's mine. Later.

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Wolf's Bane 

Chapter 9

The Next One

* * *

Sable sat down on a nearby chair, content to finally have a minute to herself before pulling out her notebook and beginning to jot down some notes about the blood samples. The microscopes were set on a table to her right, waiting to be checked. 

Remus, on the other hand, was crouched down behind the chair thinking out his options.

'_Well, I can't get out of here without her seeing me. So... the next best thing would be..' _He positioned himself perpendicular to the chair. Using his arms as leverage, he tipped the chair over, unceremoniously dropping its only occupant on the floor. He heard a spluttering of curses and the sound of paper fluttering down to the ground. He started laughing uncontrollably when Sable's angry face loomed above the over-turned chair.

"You...you," she sputtered angrily, "you shaggy headed, overgrown, mangy, sneaky...Chihuahua! What did you do that for?" Remus laughed even harder at her pathetic attempts at name calling. "Didn't I tell you to get lost?"

"I didn't want to." he answered honestly, in between bouts of laughter. "Aggravating you is more fun." Sable gave him a look of indignation before pulling herself up off of the floor. Remus was still laughing, so she decided to shut him up. She picked up one of the many throw pillows in the room, and threw it straight at his head. Thus began a nasty pillow fight that left the Head's gold and crimson common room covered in snowy goose feathers, and the two Gryffindors locked in a serious competition to take each other's head off with what was left of the pillows.

Currently, Remus was hiding behind the couch while Sable kept throwing stuff at him. He had already chanced a look at the flustered girl, but almost had his head knocked off by a flying pillow in the process.

"Come on, you coward! Crawl your mangy butt out from behind that couch! I'll teach you to knock ME out of another chair!" Sable yelled. From behind the fallen couch, he grinned.

"No thanks, I like my body appendages completely attached!But if you are that eager to kill me, come on over here yourself!" he called.

"Not likely, buddy!" she called out. The match finally came to a standstill a few moments later whenSable ran out of projectiles.

"Hey Remus," she called out, "I think the smears are ready to be checked."

"Oh, no, I'm not falling for that again." he called out, "You already tried that a minute ago!"

"No, I'm not kidding. We've been going like this for nearly half an hour, it should be ready to check."

"I'm not coming out until you do." he stated simply.

"Fine, you coward. I'm coming out, and if I see one thing so much as leave your hands, you are really going to catch hell from me when I get to you!" Sable stood up from her position and slowly made her way over to the tables where the microscopes were sitting, kicking goose feathers all over the place on her way. She looked in the first one and smiled. _'Perfect, just like I thought it would work.'_ She looked into the second one and she almost didn't believe what she had seen. _'Oh, Merlin. I can't believe this is happening!'_ she thought.

Remus finally decided to peak over the couch at Sable. She was kneeling by the microscopes so he abandoned the pillow fight, at least temporarily. He got up and walked over to the table where she was.

"What's going on?" he asked. When she looked up at him, her eyes were watery. The expression on her face was one of disappointment, she almost looked like she could cry. Remus suddenly quit smiling. "It didn't work, did it?" He asked quietly.

"Not the way I thought it would." she answered quietly. Remus saw a tear roll down her cheek, and he tried to wipe it away. She moved, but he was quicker. He pulled her into a friendly hug and whispered quietly

"It's alright. We'll think of something else, I promise. Don't let this little set back stop you." He hugged her harder when a shiver passed through her body.

"I'm sorry Remus. It didn't work out like I thought it would. I'm sorry. I won't be able to make the potion for the next full moon. I'm sorry." she said quietly. He heard her sad words, and the sorrow in her voice. He tried to keep her close, but she pulled away. She sat down on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"It's alright Sable, really." he said quietly. "We'll think of something."

"I know, I'm just not used to my theories not working out the way I figured." she pouted.

"Well, we can't be right all the time." he said gently.

"You're right, as usual." she conceded. She got up from the couch and looked around. She fished her wand out from under a pile of pillows, and used it to begin putting the common room back into place. Remus pulled out his want to help her. They worked in silence until everything was back to its normal state of affairs. Sable sat back down on the couch and stared at the microscopes.

"I can't believe it didn't work the way I thought." she whispered. Remus looked at her and frowned. He walked to her and got between her chair and the microscopes. "What?" she asked.

"You don't need to worry about it. You're gonna make yourself sick."

"But now you won't..."

"I said don't worry about it."

"But..."

"You heard what I said, Sabriel." Remus shook his finger at her. She frowned and shook her head. _'He knows I hate it when they use my first name._' she thought.

"You keep calling me that, and you can just kiss your potion good-bye before you ever get it, mister." she said cockily. Remus looked confused.

"What?"

"I said you are not gonna get that potion if you keep calling me Sabriel."

"What potion?"

"Never mind, I've got to get to work." Sable said as she stood up from the chair. Remus was very confused. _'She said the experiment didn't work. What potion is she talking about?'_ he thought.

"What are you talking about? You said the experiment didn't work out..."

"..the way I expected it to." she smiled evilly, "It came out better." Remus stared at her as the information she had just revealed sunk in. _'It worked!' _he thought, _' It worked! She's immune and she can make the potion!'_

"So... the experiment was a success? You're immune from me?" he asked quietly. Sable nodded and gave him a genuine smile.

"Yep."

"The brewing time istwo months. I won't have it ready until the full moon in November."

"So, you can make it?" he asked again, shocked. Sable smiled and nodded.

"Just as soon as I can get down to my room, I'll start." she said. Remus walked over to her and gave her a hug. Suddenly, his disposition changed one hundred and eight degrees. He grabbed both of her hands and pinned them behind her back.

"It worked, and you let me think that it didn't." he accused, acting like she had hurt his feelings. She had actually had him believing that the experiment had failed. He had been ready to give up and go on. _'Some little actress we have here.' _he thought wryly. Sable struggled against him, but he was too strong. He held her still until she stopped squirming.

"Yeah, that's what you get for knocking me out of a chair." she smirked, "Besides, I'm sure Sirius has told you never to assume anything when a woman cries. Those tears can mean anything. He, of all men,should know that by now." She finally managed to wrestle herself away from Remus, causing a smile to come to her face.

"Hey, Sirius has told me nothing. I don't take advice from someone who can't keep his own problems in check." he said defensively. Sable only laughed and began to gather up her things, putting them back into her bag. Remus walked over to her and gave her one more hug, just one way of showing his gratitude for her help.

"You really are the best." he said. Sable flushed at the compliment and lowered her head. She didn't want anyone to see the horrid red color her face turned when she blushed. She felt her face heating up with the unexpected compliment.

"Look, it's nothing, Remus. Just let me get started with my..." her sentence was cut off abruptly when she felt something soft come in contact with her lips. She opened her eyes and saw Remus pull away from her quickly, his own face flushed as red as hers. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one saying anything. Each one was lost in their own personal thoughts.

'She's going to kill me now, for sure.' Remus thought,_ 'why did I do that?' _

' He didn't just...kiss me...did he?' she thought, _' Maybe he needs to see the nurse. What am I talking about? I'm not about to complain!'_ Finally, Remus broke out of the trance he was in and tried to say something.

Remus thought,she thought, Finally, Remus broke out of the trance he was in and tried to say something. 

"Sable...I'm..." his apology was cut off when the portrait door swung open, admitting Sirius, Lily, and James. _'Oh shit!'_ was all he thought.

The three new comers to the room could feel the tension in the air between the two occupants. They looked curiously from an embarrassed Sable to a wide-eyed Remus, noting the close proximity and flushed faces. Something was going on, and Lily knew exactly what it was.

"Is this a bad time?" Sirius asked with a smirk, "We can come back later when you two are finished." He had a good feeling as to what they had interrupted, and Sable's next actions only confirmed his suspicions.

"No, no, it's alright, you guys come on." She said quickly, trying to hide her awkwardness. "The samples are finished, and I was just telling Remus that I was about to start work on the potion."

"So it worked?" James asked happily. "You're immune from him?"

Sable nodded and gave a weak smile._ 'You don't know how untrue that really is, my dear.'_ she thought. She grabbed her bag and made her way to the portrait hole. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." she said quietly. Then she slipped out of the portrait hole with out a backwards glance. She ran down the hallway, towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor, trying to get away from what had just happened.

Back in the common room, Remus was being bombarded with questions. And none of which he felt like answering.

"What happened?"

"What did you do?'

"What's wrong with her?"

"I...un...well we... you see... uh...oh, NEVER MIND!" he yelled. James looked at his friend carefully, trying to figure out what had gotten into him. It wasn't often that something would come along that would render REMUS speechless.

Remus picked up his wand and made for the portrait hole that led back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He said the password and went through, leaving his three friends without another word _' They can figure it out on their own. Cause I'm not about to tell them!' _he thought angrily. Lily looked over to James with a knowing expression on her face.

"Anyone care to explain what they think just happened here?" she asked with a grin. The two black haired boys only shrugged their shoulders.

"Well lass, it was quiet a show. I'll tell you that much." came a deep voice from the portrait over the fireplace. Lily, James, and Sirius turned to face a portrait of the four Hogwart's founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazaar Slytherin.

"What exactly happened? Did you see all of it?' James questioned.

"Yes my dear, we saw everything. It's unfortunate that your friends have such short tempers, though." Rowena said.

"Will you tell us what happened?" Lily asked.

"Why should we?" Asked the tall, blonde headed Slytherin founder, "It's none of your business what goes on between them. That's a private matter."

"Well, you see," Sirius said, trying to keep his temper in check, "They're two of our best friends, and we don't want to see them fighting."

"We won't tell, that's final!" Salazaar said firmly. With this comment, he received two death glares, each one coming from the female founders.

"And since when do you make decisions for us, Salazaar?" Helga Hufflepuff asked, an evil glint in her pretty eyes.

"Well, I..."

"Yeah, who died and left your pure blooded-arse in command?" Rowena prodded.

"It's one of their business.."

"Give it up , Salazaar," Godric Gryffindor said with a grin, "you know arguing with these two is pointless. You'll never win."

"Fat help you are, Gryffindor." the blonde headed man said before disappearing into the portrait background. He pulled out his want and began cursing everything that crossed his path.

"Oh, dear. He's at it again."Helga said, rolling her eyes. The Hufflepuff founderlooked over to Rowena and groaned. "Rowena, would you see if..."

"I'm already on it." she replied knowingly. "He'll be back to his normal, nasty self I no time. Just let me get done with him." Then, she too disappeared into the landscape, calling out to the Slytherin founder.

"Salazaar Slytherin, you tight-arsed, pure blooded-obsessed baby, get out here. And I mean NOW! You're acting like a spoiled overgrown child that has thrown a fit because he hasn't got his way..."

As the young woman stalked off into the portrait, Lily and the boys let out a small snicker. _'Looks like the women were in charge, even back then.'_ they thought. When they couldn't hear Rowena's voice anymore, Godric andHelga turned back to the students.

"Please excuse Salazaar,"Helga said, "he tends to get a little out of hand when he doesn't get his way. Privacy's a big thing for him."

"Yeah, when he gets like this, it seems likeRowena is the only one who can keep him in line. I don't know what that woman does, but it always causes Salazaar to go back to normal. It's eerie." Godric said.Helgaonly grinned.

"Man, that gives me new respect for theRavenclaw girls." Sirius said quietly. Lily glared at the boy, but turned back to the portrait.

"What exactly happened?"

"Well,"Helga began, "when Ms. Robbins kicked everyone out, young Remus decided to hide behind the couch. When she sat down, Mr. Lupin turned the chair over. She effectively began a pillow fight as a form of retaliation. That lasted nearly half an hour. Then, when they ran out of ammunition, she stopped to check the things that were on the table."

"You should make Ms. Robbins try out for the house Quidditch team," Godric interrupted, "She's got good aim, and plenty of power. She hit Mr. Lupin every time she threw something at him."

"Anyways,"Helga continued, " when she stood up, she looked really upset. Mr. Lupin gave her a hug and told her that everything would be alright. They said something else, but we couldn't hear what it was."

"Then why is she so mad? Remus hugs her all the time." Sirius pointed out _'Besides, she didn't look too mad to me.'_.

"Well, mate," Gryffindor stated, "I think what really set her off was when he kissed her."

"HE WHAT?" the three students asked.

"The kiss."Helga said. "When Ms. Robbins finally told him that the experiment worked, he got all happy. He grabbed her and kissed her. After that, everything got real quiet. The lad was about to say something when you walked in." This was all the information they needed to know.

"Well thank you for helping us, we really appreciate it." Lily said.

"Not a problem," Godric replied easily, "I hate to see two house mates argue, especially two Gryffindors. I seem to have taken a liking to them."

"Well, I think we can fix it now. Thank you." James said. The two figures nodded and disappeared into the canvas, leaving only the black background.

"Well, this little piece of information definitely changes the status quo a little." Sirius said with a grin. "I could do Remus some real damage with this!"

"You'll do no such thing, Sirius Black!" Lily admonished severly. "You leave those two alone. I mean it."

"But Lily..."

"Don't you 'but Lily' me. Those two have enough problems without help from the Love Doctor, Sirius Black."

"Awwww, come on Lily. I'm just gonna have a little fun at them. Nothing major. Remus never has anything to tease him about."

"No. And I mean it!" she said firmly, "Those two were meant to be together from thebeginning. And I have a feeling that if we meddle in their business, things are only going to get a lot uglier. And if that happens, then we will never get our old Sable back."

"But, Lily..."

"Sorry Padfoot, but this time she's right." James conceded. "The more we try to push those two together, the farther they're going to get apart."

"Exactly," Sirius said, "So we need to help them along a little bit."

"We might." Lily said, pointing to her and James, "but you aren't. The last time you tried to fix Remus up with a girl, he wound up not talking to ALL of us for two weeks."

"So, you know what you are going to do, Sirius?" James asked.

"Play matchmaker?" he asked hopefully, his face lighting up in a grin.

"NO! You are going to stay out of it." Lily said.

"But, Lily..."

"You know, he's getting really good at saying that." Lily said with a grin. James smiled and Sirius frowned, pouting like a spoiled child. "Don't you get it?" Lily asked, "It's better for them to figure it out themselves. If we try to interfere, they are both going to throw up defensive walls five miles high. I know what they are both thinking. They think that they are going to hurt one another if their friendship turns into anything but a platonic relationship. They're afraid of losing the respect of the other one. Trust me, with time they will realize what's going on."

"Yeah, but their friendship isn't _platonic _anymore, Lily." Sirius pointed out.

"Let them deal with it on their own." she said firmly. "Now, I'm going to see if she went back to her room. James, you and Sirius go see if Remus is okay. But no, and I reiterate again, no relationship advice, Sirius." Lily walked out of the Common Room and went to find Sable.

"Since when do I give such rotten relationship advice, James." Sirius asked, truly intrigued. James chuckled and patted the taller boy on the back.

"Since you can't keep the same girlfriend for more than two weeks." he answered with a laugh.

* * *

A/N: Alright, there you go for all of those people who were wondering when the first kiss would pop up. It's finished, and I hope you are happy:) :) Anyways, don't think it's going to peachy keen easy and all red roses for them now. What kind of writer would I be if I made it too easy for them to get together? It's going to take a while. Just wait. It will be worth it in the end.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer - It's not mine, never was.

A/N : The opening of this chapter is dedicated to all of you Severus Snape fans out there. One of my best friends is a Snape fanatic, and she told me that there needed to be more of him in this story. So, to keep her happy (luv u H...), the opening is for all people who enjoy that reclusive Potion's maser. Enjoy.

* * *

Wolf's Bane

Chapter 10

Enter, Snape

* * *

Anyone who had ever met Severus Snape would tell you that he is not a young man to cross. His shoulder length black hair and pale complexion often reminded people of a vampire. Many even believed that he had vampire blood in his family line, but none were ever brave enough to ask. An intimidating figure standing at right about six foot, four inches, this was not a boy you would want to tangle with. His snappy temper and nasty disposition gave him a reputation of being the perfect embodiment of Salazaar Slytherin himself. Cold and reclusive, he very seldom ventured out of the dungeons, where he brewed various potions.

But his ambition to prove himself to anyone was only overshadowed by the loneliness he endured during the school year. He had no friends, and very few acquaintances. Due to this fact, he was not a popular person. Friendship was not on his top list of priorities. And due to his reclusive nature, and surprisingly skillful manipulation of potions, he had been called upon to join in the ranks of the group of wizards who were rising against the wizarding world, the Death Eaters. He had already received his Dark Mark over the summer, a constant reminder of where his loyalties would now lie.

He had pledged himself to the dark wizard Voldemort, to be forever his servant. His amazing skill and ruthless nature had quickly caused him to propel to the top of the Death Eater ranks. Voldemort saw the unrest and hurt deep within the seventeen year old boy, and he fed off of the knowledge that Severus wanted to prove himself to anyone. Never one to disappoint, Voldemort had given Severus the respect and admiration that he lacked as he had grown from an innocent child into a strong young man. Even though what Severus done was wrong, even illegal at times, Voldemort always gave him praise for an accomplished mission.

His primary goal at Hogwart's this year was to scope out new recruits for the Death Eater ranks. Up until now, he had found no one promising, but when he found out that Sable was coming back, his attention had been piqued. A powerful witch, and one almost as good if not better than himself in potion manipulation, would be greatly appreciated by the Dark Lord. He set out to do the impossible after finding this out. He planned on turning her against everyone of her so-called friends, breaking her moral and self-esteem down to nothing, then handing her over to Voldemort, tied up with a pretty red ribbon. Little did he know, the plan would not be as easily executed as thought out.

* * *

Severus was sitting at the Slytherin table the next morning at breakfast when the 'dream team' walked in. He noticed that little Peter lagged behind his house mates, observing their interactions with a look of longing. He continued his meal as the schedules were handed out through the hall to the seventh year students. _'Hmm, Potions and Transfiguration with the Gryffindors. Charms and History of Magic with the Ravenclaws. Good. No classes with those dense as mud Hufflepuffs.'_ he thought. He looked up as a loud bang erupted from the other end of the Slythrein table. Severus heard the shrieks of the first and second years as the small ball of smoke dissipated.

The younger Slytherins were covered in a greenish, silvery goo that acted as an adhesive. Every time they moved, one of their house mates would become stuck to them. It would have been quite funny, had it happened to someone else, but the whole Slytherin table was instantly in an uproar. But the entire upper-class of the Slytherin house immediately turned their attentions to the four resident pranksters of Gryffindor, the Marauders. Above the heads of the now sticky first and second years hung a banner that said:

Welcome back to Hogwarts for another fun filled year. Slytherins beware. Compliments of ?

Many of the members of the other houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, smiled or whistled at the four pranksters of Gryffindor, thinking they had conjured up the prank. Little known to the others, this time, the boys were completely innocent. They hadn't planted the prank.

Severus Snape glanced up to the Head table where Dumbledore was fighting to hide an amused grin. Professor Treble, the Slytherin Head and Potion's Master, was fuming with indignation and shooting threatening glances to everyone. McGonagall was making her way down from the Head's table and down to the place where the now stunned Marauders sat. Snape grinned as she swept over to the surprised group. The boys were actually looking worried. _'Serves them right for pulling these childish pranks, just to get attention.' _he thought wryly.

He watched in amusement, as did the other Slytherins, when McGonagall pulled the boys out of the hall, berating them the whole time. Surprisingly, the looks of innocence present on the boys faces looked almost authentic. He looked at the reactions of the various members of the Gryffindor House. Lily and Sable seemed upset that another prank had happened. As the two girls watched as their friends were led out of the hall by a very angry looking McGonagall, he noticed that Sable had seemed to stay as far away from Remus Lupin as possible. That was the oddest of all, because those two always seemed to stick together. _'That's the smartest thing she could do. No telling what that werewolf would do to her.'_ he thought. _'What am I saying? It shouldn't matter what he does to her. I don't care._ _As long as she's in one piece for me to hand over to Voldemort_.'

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was one of the best teachers at Hogwart's. However, this did not make her a very lenient person, especially to her own house. She was unusually strict with the students under her watch. The Marauders had always been pranksters, not so much troublemakers, and she knew it. Had even revelled in the discomfort that the four boys had put the Potion's Master through over the years. Of course, she'd never admit to it.

She pulled the four boys into an empty classroom and shut the door. Turning to face theguilty party, she was surprised to see their own looks of surprise.

"Mr. Potter," she began angrily, "what is the meaning of the? I distinctly remember you telling me that there would be no more pranks in the Great Hall this year, courtesy of you and your friends. You swore on your Head badge that it would stop!" She surveyed the boys carefully, knowing they would try to fudge their way out.

"Honestly, Professor, I don't know what happened in there. But we weren't responsible for it." he said, jerking his thumb towards the hall where the rest of the student population was.

"I am afraid I have a hard time believing that, Mr. Potter, considering your track record of childish pranks." she replied. Then looking to the others, she continued, "What have the rest of you got to say for yourselves?"

"Really, Professor, we haven't been anywhere near the other Houses. We've been with Lily and Sable since about noon yesterday." Sirius said.

"What about last night, and yesterday evening?"

"Still with the girls." Peter said quickly.

"Yeah, all of us were out on the Quidditch Pitch most of yesterday. They were trying to get me and Sable on a broom up until right before dinner. After that, we went to the dorms. Spent the rest of the evening in there, playing chess." Remus said. McGonagall looked at the boys carefully. _'They are either telling the truth, or have gotten better at bluffing over the summer vacation.'_ she thought.

"Very well, boys. However, if I happen to question anyone as to you whereabouts, will they tell me the same as you four?" she inquired, casting a wary eye on them.

"Yes, ma'am." James said. "Professor Swift, the flying instructor, saw us on the field all evening. In fact, he tried to talk Sable into trying out for the House team. He can validate our story." The other boys nodded in agreement. After finally getting Remus and Sable calmed down after the episode in the Head's Common Room, they had all decided to go outside for a little while. Sable had told Lily what had happened, as did Remus to Sirius and James. Apparently, the two parties concerned had decided not to mention it to the other. So they started acting like it hadn't happened, but the tension was still apparent anytime they were withing shouting distance of each other, which made for some entertaining moments between the two.

"Is there anyone in the Gryffindor Common Room who can verify your appearances there?" she questioned, still not quite trusting the boys.

"Yes, there were a lot of younger kids in there. One of them, Thomas I think, he talked with Sable for a long time. You can also ask any of the Quidditch team, we were all in there." Sirius said.

Minerva McGonagall was stunned. She looked over the faces of the boys, trying to detect a lie. But nothing could be found. They had a solid alibi, since she had spoken with Professor Swift at dinner the evening before. They had spoke about the Gryffindor's team for the upcoming Quidditch season, andSwift had told her that six of her students, four boys and two girls, had spent all evening on the Pitch. The rest of their story seemed plausible enough, so there was nothing she could do.

"Well, since I happen to know you all were on the Pitch all evening, as you say you seem to have been cleared.. You are free to go. However, if I find out that any of this alibi is false, the whole lot of you will be in detention for the next month, all with Professor Treble."

"Thank you, Professor." Remus said. They all turned to leave, but she stopped them once more.

"The rest of you may go. Potter, I need a word with you, if you don't mind." she said. The other boys left for the hall, while James went back to McGonagall.

"Yes, Professor."

"James, do you know who is responsible for that?"

"No ma'am. I really don't. But we were not responsible. I swore on my Head boy position that the Marauders would stop with pranks in the Great Hall. We haven't done anything to anyone." he said confidently. _'Not yet, anyway.'_ he thought slyly. The Transfiguration teacher nodded her head in acceptance. She gave him a weak smile that James found disconcerting.

"I didn't think you were responsible. When Mr. Snape and Mr. Flint got away unscathed, I figured it wasn't you four. Besides, it wasn't that well planned of a prank. Definitely not up to par with your usual caliber of work." James looked at the woman like she was nuts. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _'Is she praising us for the pranks?'_ he thought. "However, I am afraid that Professor Treble is now out for blood. Too bad someone can't make his disposition improve a little.You may go back to breakfast, you are dismissed." she said with a wave of her hand. James nodded and left the room.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall." he said with a grin, then slipped through the door back to the Great Hall, laughing the whole way.

* * *

"What have they done now?" Lily asked, completely exasperated as her boyfriend was led out of the Great Hall by their Head of House. "They know about James's promise. Now he's going to be in trouble." Sable looked over at her friend with a frown.

"Promise?"

"When James got his Head Boy badge, McGonagall made him swear to stop the pranks on the Slytherins while in the Great Hall. He swore on his position as Head Boy that they would quiet. Now look at what happened." The two girls watched as their Head of House marched the four boys out of the hall.

"Lily, they were with us all day yesterday, and this morning. They didn't have time to do anything." Sable said.

"I know that. But convincing McGonagall of that will be tough." she answered. "Thanks to the boy's record, every time something goes wrong they are the first suspects. They'll get out of it I suppose, just don't be surprised if McGonagall starts asking you about their alibi."

"Don't worry, I won't." she replied. She turned back to her food and finished off her breakfast. Meanwhile, the schedules were being passed out to the seventh years in Gryffindor. Someone passed her hers, and she almost groaned when she looked at it. _'Advanced Potions first thing in the morning? And with the Slytherins! Man, I'm not even that dedicated. Let's see, what else do we have here?'_ she thought as she scanned over the parchment. She stuffed the paper into her bag and checked her watch. It wasn't time to go to class yet, so she got up and walked down the table to where little Thomas was sitting with some of his new friends. There was an empty place next to him, so she sat down. He seemed a little surprised to see her, but he overcome it quickly enough.

"Hey, Thomas," she said, "ready for your first day of official schoolwork?"

"Yeah, I think I am, actually." he said with a smile. "Did you see what happened this morning? Who did it? Do you know?" Sable grinned at his overly enthusiastic attitude. Many of the other younger kids seemed to find it funny about the unexpected explosion. She only grinned and shook her head.

"No, I don't know who did it. I think McGonagall may have an idea, though."

"Is it true that it was the Marauders?" a little girl with bright blue eyes and curly black hair asked timidly.

"I don't know. I am pretty sure that it wasn't though. The Head Girl and I were with them all day yesterday, and this morning. They didn't have time to go anywhere." she replied. The little girl's eyes got as large as saucers, as well as a few other kids who were sitting there.

"You spent the whole time with the Marauders?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes. We're old friends." she said, confused at the children's reactions. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, they are the most popular students in the entire school. I just didn't think that anyone who knew them would come talk to us. I mean, all of the older kids just kind of ignore us, except the Prefects and Heads of course, and you." one of the boys stated. Sable never realized that many of the younger kids were indeed overlooked. _'Well, there is something I can do about that.'_ she thought.

"Well, I'll tell you what." she said. "If you guys ever need anything, come to me or to one of the Heads, James or Lily. That's what they are here for. Whether you need help with you homework orwhatever, there is always someone there. Don't be afraid of us, we don't bite." she grinned and winked. "Well not hard anyways. And the ones of us that do have had our shots." Some of the kids grinned and laughed at her. "So, how's your schedule's looking?" she asked the kids. The black headed girl reached for hers and presented it to Sable with a flush. She scanned the parchment and smiled.

"Hmm, Charms and Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Potions with the Ravenclaws. And History of Magic and Transfiguration with the Slytherins. Not a bad schedule." she said. She glanced at the kids and frowned, "But I am going to give you one piece of advice. The Potion's master, Professor Treble, is not the nicest person in the world. Just to give you a head's up. Usually, he favors his own House over everyone else, and he can do it since he's Head of Slytherin House. Just watch out for the Slytherin students. Some of them can be really mean." The gathered children only nodded and looked at the girl in amazement.

"Sable, what are your classes like?" Thomas asked.

"Well, the majority of my classes are pretty much the same as the rest of you." She noticed that Remus, Sirius, and Peter had made it back to the Hall and were all sitting downto finish eating. Sable looked over to her young charges and smiled.

"I've got to go. I'll see you guys later. Good luck with your classes today." she said. The younger students only nodded and smiled, saying goodbye to the older girl. She walked back up to the head and sat in her place across from Remus and Lily.

* * *

"...I can't believe it. Someone pulled a trick on those stupid snakes, and we're getting blamed for it. It's a conspiracy I tell you!" Sirius said vehemently. Sable smiled and looked at the boy.

"I'm guessing McGonagall gave you all a month of detentions, huh?" she asked.

"Surprisingly, no she didn't." Remus answered. " We told her that we didn't do anything and that we were with you guys all evening." He pointed to the girls in reference. " She seemed to believe us, but she kept James after to talk to him."

"Probably grilling him for a confession." Peter said. About this time, James came walking through the double doors that led to the Great Hall, a huge smile on his face. He sat down with his friends and started laughing.

"What's gotten into you?" Sirius asked. James told them about McGonagall's comments about the prank not being up to par with the usual standards of their pranking. The whole group almost laughed themselves into a frenzy. The clock sounded for the morning classes to begin and the group picked up their bags, leaving to go to their respective classrooms.

"Where you guys headed?" James asked the girls.

"Advanced Potions." Lily answered with a grimace. "You?"

"Muggle Studies." Sirius answered.

"We'll catch up with you guys in Charms. Bye." Sable said as she and Lily left for the dank, damp dungeons.

"You think they would at least wait until later in the day to give us this class." Sable said. Lily looked stunned.

"This coming from the girl that could rival Severus with her talent for manipulating potions!" Lily said in astonishment. They walked down the corridor to the Potions classroom, talking the whole way. When they reached the classroom, they realized exactly how few people were in the class. The students had been hand chosen for the class by Professor Treble himself. Sable had gotten permission to take the class before she ever arrived at the school. Dumbledore had okayed it himself. She and Lily took the two seats closest to the front and waited for the others to come in.

Come to find out, there were only eight people in the Advanced class. Lily and Sable were the only two Gryffindors. Three of the students were from Ravenclaw, one from Hufflepuff, and two from Slytherin. The only other person Sable recognized was Severus Snape, her Potions rival from fourth year, and the arch-nemesis of the Marauders. They all took there seats and Professor Treble began with his usual beginning of the year threats. His dark robes billowed out behind him as he walked from his desk to stand in front of the students. His lanky, gray hair fell out of a ponytail and he gave them all the a cursory looking over.

"Now, I will tell all of you up front that this is not going to be like your other classes. This year, you will learn how to concoct certain potions that have normally been off limits to students your age. They are some of the most powerful brews ever created. And I will not have any fooling around in this classroom. As you have all been hand selected due to your particular talents in this field of study, I take it that I will have no problems with discipline. Now for the rest of the year, you will have two major long term projects going on..." he looked around the room at the gathering of students, wondering if this was such a good idea after all.

"The first one will be a running journal of everything you will learn in the class this year. I will collect it before the Christmas holidays. In this journal, you are to take notes of any and all potions you brew. The second project will begin in a few days. As your final test at the end of the year, you will have to make your own potion. By that time, you will know the properties of the majority of the ingredients we use, as well as the reactions they have when used in conjunction with other ingredients. The potion can be for anything, but it must be useful in some way. However, it must also be accompanied with specific notes and a major report explaining different reasons why you choose to contrive this particular type of potion. Next time we meet, I will have the details mapped out for you. As for today, we will begin setting up the classroom, since I have been to busy to actually prepare yet." He turned to the Severus and the other Slytherin student, Carlos Pucey.

"I need you two to go get the stores of ingredients from the cooler chambers in the dungeons." He handed the keys to the two boys, and they promptly left the room to get the ingredients. He turned back to the others and waved an impatient hand.

"Is there anything we can do, Professor?" Lily asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is, Ms. Evans. You and Ms. Robbins can help me finish my inventory checklist before the others come back. Please come with me." He promptly set the other remaining students to straightening up the classroom while he sent Sable and Lily to check off the list of ingredients already in the storage closet. When Severus and Carlos returned, they were landed with boxes, bottles, and containers of any shape, form, or size. Professor Treble immediately instructed them to take the extras to the two girls working in the ingredients room.

* * *

When Severus brought the first box of vials into the room, he almost ran right into Sable. She was standing on her tip-toes, trying to reach a top shelf to put one of the bottles. Severus nearly slammed into the girl, almost causing her to loose her balance. Lily was sitting on the floor checking off more ingredients when he sat the box down. Not wanting to start any trouble with the girls, since he really had no grudge against either of them, he turned to leave.

"Severus, how many boxes of ingredients are there in the classroom?" Sable asked. Snape looked at her with an odd expression.Anytime a Gryffindor spoke to a Slytherin, some form of derogatory statements were usually being issued.

"There are six boxes left, along with a few vial holders of various liquids." he answered curtly.

"Is there anymore monksbane in those boxes, Severus? Or does it say?" Lily asked.

"No, I don't think so, Lily. There was nothing on the outside of the boxes to indicate it." he said. The redhead nodded and continued to work.

"I am guessing there is some unicorn hairs out there in one of the boxes. There's no more in here." Sable commented. Severus picked up a small rectangular box and opened it. Contained in the black velvet was the silvery tail hairs of a unicorn. He tapped Sable on the shoulder and handed her the box.

"Okay, thank you. I just wanted to make sure there was enough room in here for them." she answered, taking the box carefully from his hands. _'Well, his mood has obviously improved some what.'_ she thought. After putting the box in its proper place, she took another bottle and tried to put it on the top shelf, but couldn't reach it. Frustrated, Sable looked around for something to stand on. Finding nothing, she set the bottle aside for later.

"Lily, do you have enough room down there for a few more bottles of wormwood? I need to move these." Sable asked, turning back to the shelves and handing two bottles to the redhead on the floor. Severus went back out to retrieve the other boxes and bring them to the girls for distribution. Upon returning to the store room, he found Sable by herself. Lily had spilled some of the liquids on herself and was trying to find a towel to clean it up.

"So Severus," Sable asked, trying to make conversation, "How is life treating you these days? Good I hope." She grabbed another container out of the first box and searched for the correct place to put it. She hadn't really expected him to answer, but he did.

"I am fine. And you?" he asked, although a little forced. Sable turned to smile at the boy.

"I have seen better, really. So, are you still working on your research for the potions you had been making when I left?" She knew that the only decent conversation she would get out of him would be about a subject they mutually enjoyed. So it was the safest route for the time being.

"It's getting better, actually. I've made some headway with a few of them, nothing major yet."

"I see." she answered truthfully, "I didn't get to work on my research as much as I had hoped this summer. Hopefully, I'll make some of it up in this class, though."

"So no advancements? Tsk, tsk, Ms. Robbins, I am ashamed. You are surely one of the better Potions students this school has, yet you have let your work go." He prodded. Sable looked over at the boy and glared.

"Well thank you for that compliment. But I do believe that I am _the_ best Potions student this school has, thank you very much." she said primly, holding her head up.

"Second best, if I have any say-so." Severus replied with a smirk. He had a bottle of worm bile in his hand when Sable turned to face him. She plucked the bottle out of his hand and gave him a sly grin.

"That's just the problem, Mr. Snape." she said, "you have no say-so. I'm better, admit it. You know it's the truth."

"Not bloody likely." Snape replied with a frown.

"Really, Severus. Language. Well, we'll just have to see about that. Won't we?" she asked, grinning at him.

Severus was completely stunned. _'Why is she even talking to me? I'm a Slytherin, she's a Gryffindor. Mixing those two are caustic the last time I checked.I am supposed to be trying to recruit her to Voldemort, not making idle chitchat.'_ He eyed the girl as she once again tried to reach a top shelf. Noticing her predicament, Severus moved to take the bottle from her hands. He walked up behind her and reached up to put the bottle away.

"Having problems?" he asked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately, I lack the height that many of you are so gifted with." she said with a frown. She felt his hands close around the bottle and she let go, sure that he had it. He placed the bottle on the shelf but didn't move away from the her. Professor Treble came into the room then, pushing the empty boxes out of the way. He looked a little surprised to see two rival House students within such a close proximity without one of the cursing the other into a million pieces.

"It is time for the next class to begin. You can store what you haven't got put up away for now. I'll have the other seventh years finish what you've already begun." he said briefly.

"Yes sir, Professor." they said in unison. The two teens made there way back out to the classroom when Professor Treble dismissed them. Lily caught up with Sable and pulled her off to the Charms classroom. Severus saw Sable give him a small smile before she allowed the Head Girl to drag her off down the corridor.

The burning sensation on his arm brought him back to reality, the calling sign for a Death Eater meeting. _'It is time for another meeting tonight.' _he thought suddenly, _'Tonight, I will tell the Lord of my plans for the girl. If he agrees, we will have another follower in our ranks before this year is out.'_ Severus gathered up his books and looked down at his schedule. His next class was History of Magic. _'Useless class!'_ he thought as he walked out of the doors to the dungeons.

* * *

Classes for the rest of the day continued on without an interruption, except for the Care of magical Creatures where Sirius was chased by a stray hinky-punk. The Heads had a meeting that night, after classes ended. So when the last bell rang, James and Lily left the remaining Marauders and Sable to their own devices in the Gryffindor Common Room. They were all discussing the first day back when Sableremembered that she had to work on the werewolf potion. She grabbed her bag and went to walk back out of the portrait hole.

"Where you headed?" Sirius asked, "Classes are over for the day."

"Out to the lake. I've got to study, and I can't stay in here. It's too noisy." she replied. It was loud since almost all of the years were in there playing chess, Gobstones, or some other form of game.

"Mind if I go with you?" Remus piped up. Sable tried to figure out a way out of her lie. Coming up with nothing, she nodded at the boy. "Thanks, Treble has already loaded us down with essays. And it's only the first day!" he said , grabbing his bag and meeting Sable at the portrait.

Figuring that she was not going to get out of the lie, she left out of the Common Room and made her way down the stairs and out to the lake. Neither would speak until they were safely outside and away from everybody's prying ears. They sat down underneath a large willow tree. Looking over the lake, Sable realized that the Quidditch season would be starting soon.

"You weren't really coming out here, were you." Remus asked. Figuring that lying to him would do no good, since he already knew about her potions room, she nodded.

"No, I wasn't." she admitted. "Actually, I was going to work on the potion."

"Have you already started it?" he asked, seemingly more confident than before, but not looking directly at her.

"No, not yet. I had planned on starting it this evening, but I haven't gotten down there yet."

"I have an idea," Remus volunteered, "how about you go start it now. I can do my homework and you can help me out on Treble's essays. Potions never was my strongest subject." Sable grinned and nodded in acceptance. Grabbing their bags, they left off for the castle with out another word. Remus followed behind her for a little while before catching up. He noticed that tension between them was slowly dissipating. He was tired of walking on eggshells every time the girl was around, Remus caught her off guard with the next conversation topic.

"Sable, can I ask you something?" he said quietly.

"Shoot." Remus stopped walking, causing her to stop and face him with a worried expression. "What's wrong?"

"Sable, what's wrong with us?" She gave him an odd look and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not following you."

"When you left two years ago,we were best friends. I realize that the only contact we've had since then was the letters every month, but you never mentioned anything changing with you. When you came back, we were so happy for you. We had missed you so much. But something's different now. You're not the same as you were when you left. What in America changed you so much?"

"What's so different about me, other than the physical changes. Has my personality changed that much?" she asked lightly, trying to place why she feltso high strung all of a sudden."What's so different?"

"You hide stuff now. It used to be we knew everything about each other. It's just not the same….something's different about you, about all of us, I think. You're not as open as you used to be. Everyone's noticed, even Peter."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" she began. Sable hadn't thought that she had hurt her friends with coming back. But according to what Remus was saying, it sounded like her coming back was just throwing a kink in everything.

"Look, I'm not worried about everyone else. What I want to know is what happened to OUR friendship."

"Nothing's happened….has it?" she asked.

"Ever since that…episode… in the Common Room, you haven't wanted to talk to me." Sable smiled at his use of tact..

"I thought it was a mutual consensus not to talk about that." she said stiffly.

"Well, considering we haven't been by ourselves to talk about anything since then, I think now is as good a time as any." Sable nodded, but did not want to say anything that he could pin her about later. They started walking towards the castle again, once again in silence.

"Where do you want to start?" she asked, diverting her attention to the strap of her bag.

"How about why we did it to begin with?" he proffered. Sable frowned, saying nothing. She knew why she had not stopped him, or blew up at him after it happened, simply because it hadn't really bothered her…..until now.

"I think we got caught up in the moment." she rationalized. "Our adrenaline was still pumping because of the pillow fight, so that didn't help matters any." _'Not that I minded to begin with.'_ she thought.

"Question is," she finished, "why did you even do it?" Remus looked a little uncomfortable, but she wanted some answers as to why his defensive walls had suddenly collapsed the other day.

"Caught up in the moment, I guess." he answered, blushing slightly. "I don't know….I guess when you finally told me that the experiment worked, I was just so happy. It hit me exactly how much you take time to help me out. With the potions and everything, I mean. I wanted you to know how much I appreciated what you do. It seemed like the best way to get it across to you at the time." he shrugged. They had made it to the doors of the castle, and fell silent again. Pushing open the huge double doors, the two teenagers made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway in no time.

They turned the corner to the hall and ran into two people that Remus least wanted to see, Cody Flint and Severus Snape. Sable and Snape collided and she had to take a step back to keep from falling. She felt Remus tense up as she looked up to the two Slytherins. _'Oh, shit!'_ she though.

"Watch were you're going, you mindless peon!" Snape snapped, straightening out the wrinkles in his robes, then realizing who was in front of him. "Sable." The girl glared at him with a certain hatred tinged with respect.

"Severus." she acknowledged.

"How about you take a little bit of the advice you give out." Remus answered back, oblivious to the prior exchange. He turned back to Sable, who was still glaring at Snape. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, Remus." she answered.

"What are you doing hanging around wit riff-raff like him?" Flint sneered, pointing ac accusing finger at Remus.

"And I suppose going anywhere with you would be a step up on the social ladder of Hogwarts?" Sable snapped back at the Slytherin Quidditch captain. The burly boy looked amused at her comeback. He looked at Snape and shook his head, a smile on his face. He looked her over one quick time before continuing.

"Damn, woman." he said. "Too bad you weren't put into Slytherin. With assets like yours, you'd make a wonderful addition to the House. Not to mention, you got the attitude to go with those……'assets". Sable's face began burning with indignation and embarrassment.

"I'm sure I would have been. However, you'll never know, will you?" she answered curtly. She felt Remus' hand go around her waist and tighten until it almost hurt. Once again eyeing her, Cody only nodded.

"Maybe, maybe not." he smirked. By now, Remus had reached his breaking point. He lashed out at the Slytherin captain with the pent up anger.

"The only part a Slytherin like you would have with her 'assets' would be a fist in your face!" he growled, letting go of Sable and getting between her and the burly boy. "And that's only if I leave enough of you after I'm done tearing you to pieces. If I were you, I would suggest you quit worrying about what 'assets' she would bring to Slytherin House, because she's more of a Gryffindor than either of you will ever realize!"

"And what are you going do about it if I don't?" Flint challenged. He walked closer to Remus, who was now having a hard time keeping his temper in check and his fists by his side. Remus normally was not a very violent person, and perferred to reason with people. But when Sable was involved with anything, he always lost his cool. He'd always been like that, and he blamed it on the lycanthropy, and his instincts to protect one of his dearest friends. But that excuse was slowly starting to wear thin.

"Now gentlemen," Snape intervened, "There is no need to have an act of violence in the middle of the hallway. Besides, there is a lady present" He looked over to Sable and smiled….actually smiled. "We can continue this at another time, can't we, Cody?" he finished. When the other boy did not answer, Snape put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. Flint flinched at the contact, but backed up, a sour expression on his face. "Can't we?" Snape asked again.

"I guess we will." the shorter boy replied, still glaring at the two Gryffindors.

"That's what I thought." Snape replied stonily. He turned back to the others present. "Besides, we wouldn't want Mr. Lupin to turn into some wild beast trying to protect his property." He gave Remus an evil smirk, but continued to prod the sensitive subject. Remus immediately tensed up in anger and frustration at the mention of his lycanthropy. Sable noticed and put her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.

"It's not worth fighting over, Remus. Calm down." Snape noticed the exchange and sneered.

"Well, they say that a woman's touch can sooth the savage beast in any man. I guess some of those old sayings hold a sliver of truth after all." he looked at Remus, who was wishing desperately that Sable would not be with him right now so he could kill the Slytherin standing in front of him. "Good day to the both of you." he said, turning to leave them. Cody Flint followed behind him, occasionally looking behind him at the two friends and sneering. When they turned the corner, Sable tried to calm Remus down some more.

"Remus, calm down, please. He was only doing that to get under your skin." she whispered. She felt the muscles in his arm tensed to the breaking point. He was gritting his teeth and fighting to get his own anger under control. "Don't pay him any attention. He's just being the slimy git he was born." Slowly, the tension began to leave the scene. Remus calmed down and took a few deep breaths, thenfinally turned to her with a concerned look on his face.

"You okay?" Sable smiled at hisworry and nodded.

"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about." she answered, starting to walk towards the entrance to her room.

"I'll be okay. I just really don't like that slime ball. Ever since Sirius's played that trick on him last year, he reminds me of it every time he possibly can." Sable nodded in understanding.

They had sent her a letter telling her about how Sirius had tricked Snape into going down to the Shrieking Shack one night when Remus had changed on a full moon. James got wind of it and pulled him out before a full grown werewolf attacked him. Snape had been harboring a hatred for the Marauders sine before then; but after that, it only got worse.

She walked to the sixth suit of armor and gave the password to get into the room. When the statue slid out of the way, she pulled out a little silver key to unlock the door. She let Remus in, then followed, locking the door behind her. Remus was sitting in a chair when she came into the room he still looked upset and tense, so Sable tried to get him to relax a little before they started their work. She walked behind him and started massaging his shoulder. Surprised at the contact, Remus quickly pulled away. Sable smiled and shook her head.

"I'm not going to bite you, you know. Sit down." Remus complied and Sable soon had him feeling a little less stressed. The rigidity was leaving his muscles and he seemed to be out of the rotten mood Snape had put him in. She left him sitting gin the chair when she went to go get the ingredients for her work. When she came back, Remus surprised her with a pop question.

"Since when are you and Snape on a first name basis with each other?" he asked. Sable shrugged and dismissed the question.

"I don't know, honestly." she said. "He quit calling me by my last name before I left here two years ago. I remember him muttering something about Robbins reminding him of baby birds and flowers. I guess he liked Sable better because it makes you think of something dark."

"When did you quit calling him Snape, and start calling him Severus?" Remus asked, not completely believing her.

"I guess I go by that old saying. The one that says you should keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. My mom always says that, and I guess it's rubbed off on me. Maybe one of my 'assets' is my naïveness." Remus was surprised at her answer. The thought of Severus Snape or Cody Flint coming anywhere near Sable and any of her 'assets' made his blood pressure go through the roof. He stood up and grabbed her shoulders, all traces of happiness gone from his face.

"If any of those bastards ever lay so much as a finger on you, I'll kill them myself." he said quietly. Sable was a little surprised at the fierceness in his voice.

"I was only kidding, Remus. Calm down." she whispered. "I wouldn't keep them any closer to me than necessary. You and the others are the only ones I really want near me."

"I'm telling you, Sable." he said, still holding onto her. "If anyone, especially a Slytherin ever so much as looks at you the wrong way, they'll wish they hadn't. You mean too much to me…..to everyone, all of us……to see you hurt. And you know the reputation of the Slytherins. You know what happens to the girls in there. I just got you back. I don't want to loose you again, especially not to one of them." he finished. Sable could still see the fear in his eyes. _'He cares.. He actually thinks that I am going to take one of the Slytherin boys over him and the others.'_ she thought.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." she said, wrapping her arms around her friend. "And if any of them ever make me uncomfortable you'll be the first person to know." Remus smiled and looked down at the head of black hair below him. He smiled a the warm feeling of acceptance and respect she gave off.

"I know, I know." he said, hugging her more to reassure himself of her existence than anything else. A sudden thought hit him as he was standing there, holding one of his best friends in a tight hug and trying to convince himself that he was in no threat of losing her to anyone else. "You know what, Sable," he asked. "I think I've figured out why we were acting so weird around each other yesterday." Sable tensed up when he said that, and tried to pull out of his hug. For some odd reason, she was scared to hear what he was about to say. But he held her to him, oblivious to everything else.

"Really, why?" she asked, still not sure she wanted to hear his answer.

"It just hit me that maybe we….. Never mind. It's stupid." he said abruptly. Pulling away form her, he suddenly seemed embarrassed. Sable was confused by his actions.

"What is it, Remus?" she asked. _'Oh, Merlin, it's now or never.'_ Remus thought quickly.

"It's just that, you're more of a friend than just a friend to me." Sable gritted her teeth, suddenly nervous around her friend.

"I think so, but try again just to make sure." she said quietly.

"It's just that ever since the Sorting Feast, when we found out who you were, I've been trying to figure out here you go. What I feel for you is different than what I feel for Lily. But you're both two of my best friends. I think that's what made me feel so distant from you. After not seeing you for two years, it was kind of awkward having you back here. I'm not sure how to handle you now, and it's driving me crazy. I thought maybe the confusion would leave after the full moon passed, but it didn't. I'm just as confused now as I was when I first laid eyes on you in Diagon Alley weeks ago." he finished quickly.

Sable was completely floored with his explanation, yet she held back a grin at his struggle to find the right words to tell her what was going on inside his head. _He's usually the most articulate of all of us, and I'm doing this to him? Scary stuff.' _she thought.

"Are you trying to tell me that I make you feel awkward when I'm around?" she asked, dead serious. "Remus I'm no different than I was two years ago. It's still the same old me, only two years older. It's not like I have a completely new personality or anything. Just treat me like you did back in fourth year; it's not that hard." she said, trying to reassure him, anyway she could think of.

"It's different than fourth year, though." he said quietly, not looking at her. "I think I see you as more than just a friend now." Sable wasn't sure she heard what he had just said too clearly. She blinked rapidly and shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you saying what I think you are?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to push the subject on him too fast.

" I don't know what I'm saying to be honest with you." he admitted. "It's just what when we ran into Snape and Flint back there, something just clicked when they started talking so lewd to you. They've done the same thing to Lily and the other girls around here, but I never reacted like that." Sable saw that there was no way she was going to get a straight answer out of him like this, so she decided to change the direction of the conversation.

"Remus, I think I know what you're trying to tell me. But I don't think you do. Maybe you need to talk to James about some of this stuff you're thinking. It think a lot of it's just confusion about me coming back. I can't tell you anything that is going to help settle your mind, but maybe James or Sirius can. They can see this from a guy's point of view; I'm kind of at a disadvantage there Talk to them after dinner. I bet they'll be able to help you more than I can." Remus looked at her and nodded, but Sable started kicking herself as soon as the last word was out of her mouth. _'What am I thinking? Telling him to go the Sirius and James. I might as well have sent him to Snape! My God, what's wrong with me? I've lost my mind!'_

Remus nodded and stared down at his books, his mind suddenly not wanting to concentrate on the words in front of him. _'I know what I want to tell her, but I don't know how.'_ he thought. _'Maybe she's right. Maybe if I talk to James, some of this mess will make some type of sense to me. Merlin I hate the week after a full moon! Everything is so bloody confusing to me.'_ He looked up and saw Sable measuring out some ingredients for the potion she was working on. He tried to focus on the essay about ingredient properties for Professor Treble, but it was pointless. Sable noticed his restlessness almost immediately.

"Want to help with the potion?" she asked, smiling at him. "doesn't seem like your concentration level is too high right now. What's the essay on, by the way?" Remus nodded and moved to stir the cauldron while she added a few more bottles of some weird colored liquid to the cauldron. Opened to one side was the notebook she had filled up with the partly translated Celtic potions.

"The essay topic is the properties of potion's ingredients. We have to have four parchments in by the next class on the properties of at least twelve basic potion ingredients. Treble said it was a review, since half of us had probably forgotten most of it over the summer break." he laughed and continued to stir the cauldron.

"Well, do you remember at least twelve from last year?" she asked, consulting her notebook on the next ingredient. It was wolfsbane, not something she really liked to deal with. The plant always made her sick, reacting to the lycanthropy present in her body, and usually causing her to get a queasy stomach ache and blisters anywhere it came into contact with her skin

"Yeah, I think I know enough. But that's why I wanted you to help me, in case I couldn't remember enough."

"Well, I'll make you a deal, Remus." she said. "the next ingredient for this potion is wolfsbane. It'll make you sick if you get around it, so why don't you go over into that room until I get it all dissolved into the cauldron. You know if you even smell it, you'll be hurling chunks for an hour." Remus nodded and went through the door, into the room where Sable had set up her desk and bed.

Quickly grabbing the offending ingredient, she measured out the required amount and dumped it into the cauldron. Where the herb had touched her skin, there was a blood red blister and some whelps. _'Good think it doesn't do this to the inside of you when you drink it.'_ she though with a grimace. She continued to stir the cauldron for another ten minutes until the last bit of the dried plant was dissolve and the particles in the air had time to settle. Stepping back form the now bubbling concoction, she walked over to the door Remus had gone through. As she reached for the handle, it was drug open from the other side. A very happy looking Remus Lupin was standing in the doorway.

"Did you know that you had a passageway in your room that led straight into the Common Rooms of all four houses and the kitchens?" he asked excitedly.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, "There is only one picture in that room. The one of Agrippa and Merlin."

"I know, and there is a passage way behind it. Come and see." he said, pulling her into the room. Sure enough, behind the portrait of the witch and wizard was a passage way that branched out into five different hallways.

"How'd you know where they all lead?" she asked. Still peering into the darkness. Remus pulled out his wand and cast a light spell while pulling a very reluctant Sable into the tunnel.

"I went down three of them while you were working on the potion. I am just guessing about the other two, though." he answered. They came to a five way split in the tunnel "The first one leads to the kitchens. The fourth to the Gryffindor Common Room. The second to the Ravenclaw Common Room."

"How did you find this?" she asked, still looking surprised.

"I make it a habit to look for new passageways when we find new rooms. Usually, they are hidden behind the portraits hanging on the walls. When I went into your room, I noticed the portrait was unusually large. So, I pulled it back a little, and sure enough, there was the passageway." he said happily.

"How did you know which one went were?"

"I followed those three to the end. Before you got to the end of the first one, you could smell the food form the kitchens. I heard Sirius and Peter playing a game of chess when I got to the end of the other one, and the Ravenclaw dormitory had a whole bunch of people talking about books, it was a dead give away." he said with a grin. "By the way, it's dinner time. Come on, I'm hungry." Sable grinned at his childishness and allowed herself to be pulled form the corridor, through her bedroom and laboratory, and out into the hallway before saying anything else.

"Slow down, Remus." she said after he had almost jerked her arm off. "I'm sure the food isn't going to grow wings and fly off."

"You'd be surprised around here," he said with a grin. "especially with Sirius around." They laughed and headed for the Great Hall, each one thinking about the possibilities lying ahead of them for the school year. _'There is hope for this school year yet.'_ they both thought.

* * *

A/N -Okay peeps. How'd I do? Good I hope. Anyhow, remember to leave me a review.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer - Don't own it, never did.

* * *

Wolf's Bane

Chapter 11

Hanging Peter

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Sable spotted her mom's owl flying in through the open windows. The brown eagle owl landed on Sable's shoulder and hooted happily. Sable reached up to pat the owl on the head and retrieve the letter tied to its leg. She took the letter and quickly scanned over it, her eyes widening in surprise. She pulled a quill and piece of parchment out of her bag and scribbled a quick note. Attaching the letter back to the waiting owl's leg, she looked directly at the creature.

"Now, Artemis," she said before releasing the bird, "Make sure you take this directly to mama. No one else." The bird hooted in understanding and flew off, leaving her mistress to finish her meal. when Sable turned back to her food, she found Peter giving her an odd look. "What?" she asked.

"You have athing for Greek mythology?" he asked.

"I'm not following you." she said, confused.

"Your owl. It's name is Artemis."

"Yeah, so."

"The other one is named Aphrodite, right?" Sable nodded, still not completely following where the conversation was going.

"Yeah, and my dad has one name Hera. What's your point?"

"You've got the Greek goddesses of love and beauty, wild animals, and the bitchiest one of all. Quite a combination, don't you think?"

"Well, someone was definitely paying attention in Muggle Studies." James teased.

"Hey, you leave Pete alone." Sable said in defense of the boy. "He knew something the rest of you probably didn't." Peter's face blushed at the comment, but continued on.

"Really, Sable." he continued. "Why'd you name all of your birds after goddesses?" Sable just shrugged and tried to eat.

"Because I like the unexpected, Peter." she said truthfully. "And what's more unexpected than the actions of the Greek deities. They would cause havoc on Earth, then sit back and watch the show play out before them. Free entertainment."

"But why Aphrodite and Artemis?" Lily asked. "I've met Hera before, and I can see where she got her name from. She's about the meanest creature I've every met. The other two seem like complete opposites of one another."

"Well, like I said, I like the unexpected. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and innocent maidens. She was also keeper of the moon. I guess I could relate to her somewhat." she shrugged not knowing what exactly to say. "Aphrodite was actually my mom's choice for a name. Not mine." Sirius choose this time to put his two cents in.

"So you like wild animals, Sable?" The girl only nodded, not really paying all that much attention to Sirius. After she'd been around him for a while, she had learned how to block out some of his incessant babbling.

"Yeah, Sirius, I do." she said nonchalantly, glancing over a book she had propped up in front of her. "The wilder the better. They're more fun to handle that way."

"Must be why you like Moony so much, huh?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Um-hmm." she answered. "Yes, Sirius. They're the best kind. Whatever you say." She did not see the ridiculous grin on his face, but she did hear the sputtering coughs of Remus to her left. Glancing over to see what was wrong, she hit him on the back a few times to knock out whatever was lodged in his throat. "You alright, Remus?" she asked suddenly full of concern.

The brown headed boy only nodded, quickly drinking some juice to clear his throat. _'I can't believe she said that!'_ he thought. After looking over the table at the very amused Sirius, he realized that Sable had been set up to say that, without even realizing it. _'He is going to get it good the next time we pranks someone.'_ Sable looked back over to James and frowned.

"Besides, Mr. Head Boy, Lily tells me that you almost flunked History of Magic last year. Maybe you need to take some studying tips form Peter. Seems to me like he's done enough of it."

"Better be careful, Prongs." Sirius said. "The moon goddess over there might sic one of her fierce, wild beasts on you for not staying awake during class. Watch out." He made a horrified face and hid behind his book bag. Remus grinned at his friends tactics and turned to finish his breakfast before it was time to go to class. The clock rang a few minutes later and out the door the students went. The entire group herded themselves into the greenhouses outside with the Herbology teacher, Professor Tuft. Unfortunately, this was a class they had with the seventh year Slytherins.

After the morning pleasantries, Professor Tuft made them pair up and begin pruning back some albino constrictor vines that had went ramped over the summer break. Lily immediately latched a hold of Sable, give her the 'we got to talk look'. Sirius paired with Peter while Remus was with James. As the boys paired off, Lily pulled Sable to the other side of the greenhouses, insisting to James that she had some 'girl talk' to speak with Sable about. James cringed andcame flying back to the other side of the greenhouse. Over the chit-chat of the students, Sable could here Professor Tuft cautioning the students about the vines.

"Remember," the little woman called out over the shuffling. "the parent vines are very protective over the seedlings. You much be very careful or you may find yourself upside down."

Lily ushered her into a secluded corner and rounded on her.

"Alright, missy," she said excitedly, "what happened yesterday when you and Remus left? I know for a fact that you stayed outside for a whole twenty minutes and then left for the castle."

"Why do you want to know?" Sable said, baiting the older girl. Lily rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Because I am an insufferable git who is the nosiest person in Hogwarts." she said slowly, as if explaining it to a two year old. "You should know that by now. With no other girls around in my year in Gryffindor, I revel in any and all gossip. Besides, Ms. 'the wilder the better' I watched when you and Remus came back into the castle."

"You really are nosey." Sable said with a grin. Lily almost looked proud.

"Tell me something I don't know. Now spill the beans!" she nearly shouted. So Sable told her about the run in with Snape and Flint, and the proceeding conversation that she'd had with Remus. They had finished pruning and were just standing there when she finished telling her everything.

"You told him to go talk to James about what HE was thinking about YOU?" Lily asked exasperatingly. "What wereyou thinking?"

"Hey, I'm not about to make up his mind for him." she said defensively. "I think maybe hearing it from another guy will make him realize what's going on."

"Yeah, Remus can be a little dense with matters of the heart, especially his own." Lily admitted sadly.

"I figured as much." Sable said. Since class was almost over with, the girls walked back to the front of the greenhouses and put up their equipment. Other people were finishing up when everyone heard a loud call for help. Turning to the back of the greenhouse, Sable gasped when she saw a very distraught Peter Pettigrew hanging upside down in mid-air. One large, white vine held him stationary in the air while another one coiled around his corpulent figure. Professor Tuft ran over to the offending plant and placed a freezing charm on it. The constricting vines of the plant let go of Peter and he fell to the ground with a thud. Professor Tuft knelt down to make sure that he was okay.

"Will someone please watch over Mr. Pettigrew until I get the nurse here?" she said quickly. Sable moved to the front of the sniggering Slytherins and horrified Gryffindors, andknelt down by Peter, pillowing his head on her lap. The Professor quickly ran out of the greenhouse to get the school nurse. As she left, snickers could be heard from the Slytherins.

"Really Pettigrew, can't you do anything right?" one of the Slytherins sneered. "Oh, I forgot, you're in Gryffindor. Therefore, a Gryffindor doing something right would be unheard of." The Slytherins laughed and Peter said nothing, just turned his head away in humiliation. Sable was mortified. Peter was hurt and embarrassed; and the other Marauders were worried, not a good combination.

"Well, obviously we Gryffindors are doing something right." she snapped back. "Or have you forgotten that BOTH of the Heads are from Gryffindor House this year." She looked up and quickly put on a sad grin. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, you're in Slytherin. Therefore, a Slytherin remembering something that obvious would be unheard of. Forgive me." she said sarcastically. She looked down at Peter and noted the white color his face had turned. "You okay, Peter?" she asked.

"I think I broke something." he said quietly, wincing in pain when he tried to shift his weight.

"Stay still, Pete. The less you move the less it'll hurt. Madame Pomfrey will fix you right up." she said, wiping the dirt off of his face with the hem of her robe.

"Stupid Gryfindork," Krystal Nelife, another Slytherin, said. "Can't do anything right; not even trim a stupid plant."

"This coming form someone who spilled a whole tube of undiluted bobotuber pus them last year when a little, harmless spider crawled on your table in the middle of class." Sirius shot back. "It didn't even come that close to you, and you were screaming bloody murder. Pomfrey shouldn't have cleared all of the boils off of you. You looked better with the big, red whelps all over your face." This time, the Gryffindors smirked while the Slytherins fumed.

"That's enough everyone." James said authoritively, his Head Boy coming on full blast. "We don't need another incident in here today." Right then, Tuft came huffing back wit Pomfrey in tow. They quickly placed Peter on a conjured up stretcher and took him from the green houses. Sable, Lily and the other Marauders quickly followed behind, wanting to make sure that Peter would be alright.

They made it up to the hospital wing before the next class began. Pomfrey mended the sprained wrist and cracked ribs. However, Peter was still sore. So he was forced to stay in the hospital wing for the rest of the day. The others left to go to the next class, hoping that the say would get better as it went along. Luckily for them, fate seemed to be on their side that day.

* * *

The next few days passed by in a blur for Sable and the others. Peter was released from the hospital wing with a clean bill of health, and everyone else was immensely glad for Madame Pomfrey's genius when it came to healing Hogwart's rambunctious student body.

Between working in her classes during the day and working on her homework and potion research at night, Sable barely had time to eat and sleep. Any other free time she had, she used to help tutor some of the younger students in places where they were week. Her project for Professor Treble was coming along beautifully. Hell, everything was fine until Friday. The entire group sat down to eat dinner after classes that day when Dumbledore rose from his seat to make an announcement. When the hub-bub died down, the aged wizard gave them a genuine smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please." he said. It became quiet as a winter night and the man continued on. "I would like to inform you that the Halloween Feast that is to be held next month will also intern a Ball for everyone fifth year and up. It is a masked ball and everyone who attends must have a mask. It will be held after the traditional feast. Your Head of House, Head Boy and Girl, and Prefects will be able to give you all of the details tonight when you arrive back in the Common Rooms. That is all."

As the headmaster sat back down, a variety of responses could be heard over the Hall. Many of the girls were oohing and aahing at the mention of a Ball. The majority of the guys were rolling their eyes in annoyance, meanwhile trying to figure out who they could ask. Sable only groaned in annoyance. _'Great,'_ she thought. _' The little time I have is already taken up. Now they decide to throw in a social event!'_ She shook her head and finished her dinner quickly. Gathering her bags, she got up to leave.

"Where you going, Sable?" Peter asked.

"To hell if I don't change my ways." she said glumly. Peter looked a little taken back by the tone of her voice and the sarcastic reply. She grinned at him in apology and pulled her robe tighter around her. "I'm sorry, Pete. I was only making a joke. I'm actually going to the library to work on an assignment for Treble."

"Homework? At this time of night?" Sirius asked dramatically. Sable grinned and nodded.

"Yes, Sirius." she said with a straight face. "For some of us, it's not as unheard of as you make it seem."

"I take offense to that." Sirius huffed.

"You were supposed to." Sable replied with a wink. The group laughed and Lily interjected quickly.

"Mind if I tag along?" she asked. Sable shrugged in indifference.

"Yeah, come on. I don't mind." she said.

"I need some help with the homework he gave us." Lily got up and left the Hall with Sable. James and the others watched them leave, and soon turned the discussion to the upcoming Ball.

"Who's idea was this, James?" Remus asked. "They've never had a Ball before, why start now?" James scratched his head and shrugged.

"It was Dumbledore's idea actually. He thought we needed some type of social event to help the Houses get better acquainted. Supposedly, it's going to help inter-House relationships." He grinned an evil grin and continued on. "But if you ask me, nothing short of Merlin coming back will ever help the Gryffindor/Slytherin relationship." The other boys nodded and grinned.

"Better acquainted?" Sirius said in disgust. "We've been in the same school with these people for seven years now. How much more 'acquainted' does he want us to get?" Peter and Remus sniggered and continued to eat.

"So, who are you guys asking to the Ball?" James said. A silence fell over the boys, and James hid a grin.

"Don't know, yet." Sirius said. "But the good thing is that Moony can join us in the festivities of All Hollow's Eve this year."

"That's right." James said. "So, who's the lucky girl, Remus? Who you going to ask? The full moon isn't until two days after Halloween, so that means you can come." He said the last part quietly so it wouldn't travel through the Hall. Remus shrugged and continued on eating. "How about our resident House Potions expert, Sable." The boy only shrugged again, but James caught the slight coloring on his face.

"She probably already has someone else in mind." he said quietly, not looking at anyone.

"Bloody Hell, she does!" Sirius bellowed out, causing more than a few people to turn and stare. "She just found out about it!"

"Quiet down, Sirius." Peter said.

"Quiet down, my arse!" he said. "Remus, didn't you hear anything James told you the other day when we were on this particular subject!"

"Yes, I did." he said. "Although I don't know how since you kept butting in every two minutes."

"Then what's the problem? You like her, she likes you. What's the big obstacle here? Will someone please tell me?" Sirius said.

"It's complicated." he said quickly, fingering the fork in his hand.

"I can't believe I'm saying this. But Sirius is right this time. The longer you wait, the more of a chance you risk of her going with someone else." James said.

"Yeah, they're right, Remus." Peter said through a mouth of potatoes. "If you're not careful, you're going to loose her to someone else, possibly even a Slytherin." Remus cut his eyes to the boy, not sure he had heard right.

"What?"

"Well, I don't know if you guys have noticed or not," he said, "but Snape has been awful friendly with her. He's even somewhat more polite to Lily now; it's scary."

"Wait a minute," James said quickly, getting angry. "Snape has been talking to Lily?"

"Yeah, every time they come out of the dungeons lately, after Potions, Snape's with them."

"How long has this been going on?" Sirius asked.

"Pretty much since we've come back." Peter answered.

"Remus, this is serious." James said. "You've got to tell her before one of those slime balls latch onto her!" The brown haired boy nodded, knowing that there was no way he was going to win this argument. Besides, the others did have a point.

"I'll go talk to her after we get back to the Common Room."

"You going to tell her everything we talked about?" James asked. Remus shook his head.

"I'm not sure yet." he admitted.

"Well, buddy, I'm here to tell you something that I think might make up your mind a little quicker." Sirius said. "I know of about ten other different blokes who would kill to have her on their own arm at the Ball. If you're going to do something, Moony, you better do it, and soon."

"I will." Remus answered. "Well, now that my dating problems are out in the open, who are you two going with?" He pointed to Sirius and Peter.

"Don't know, yet." Sirius said.

"Same here." Peter echoed his comment.

"Well, aren't you guys in a rut?" James said with a grin. "Looks like I'm the only one with a sure-fire date."

"Yeah, unless you piss Lily off between now and then." Remus said with a grin, knowing the red-head's fiery hair was matched only by her inferno of a temper.

"Oh, rub it in a little more." Peter said, rolling his eyes. They laughed, suddenly realizing that they still had a month and a half before the Feast ever got there.

* * *

Lily sighed in frustration as she moved between the rows and rows of books, trying to hold Sable's attention.

"Come on, Sable." Lily pleaded. "You've got to go."

"No, I don't, Lily." she said, pulling out a book off of the shelf nearby.

"Yes, you do!" the red-head insisted.

"Who am I going to go with, Lily? Because I am definitely not going to show up by myself." she replied.

"That's easy." Lily said, gaining some headway with the stubborn girl. "Remus."

"Remus?"

"Is there an echo in here?" she asked sarcastically. "Yes, Remus. You know, the brown-headed, blue eyed werewolf that starts tripping over half his words every time he's within a fifty meter radius of you." she said frantically, waving her hands to try to emphasize her point.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lily." Sable said, mock exasperatingly. "I thought you were talking about someone else. My mistake."

"Sable, don't you…."

"Look, Lily." she said quietly, turning a thick leather bound book in her hands and staring at the cover. "I'll go to the dance if, and only if, I am asked. Otherwise, I'm spending Halloween night tucked away in my laboratory. I had a bad enough time with the dances at Salem, and I refuse to go through that misery again. End of story."

"Fine. You want to be stubborn?" Lily fumed. "I can be just as stubborn as you. But I'm telling you right now. Remus isn't going to be the only one to ask you to go. Just make sure you make the right choice." With that, Lily turned and stormed out of the library, leaving a very confused and hurt Sable in her wake.

"Damn it all to hell!" she said, plopping down in one of the comfy chairs that were scattered in the library. She tried to concentrate on her work, but eventually gave up. Going to her room, she began reading over the notes she had taken earlier that day. Still not able to get settled, she went into her bedroom and turned on her stereo system she had charmed to work in the wizarding world. She grabbed some parchment and decided to write her mom and dad a letter. Settling down on her bed, she began to write.

Dear Momma and Daddy,

How's work going? I hope you guys are safe. The attacks are picking up around here, but I feel safe while surrounded by the walls of the school. Guess what? There is going to be a masked Ball on Halloween night. Everyone who goes ahs to have a costume to wear. I don't think I am going to go, though. Other than that, everything is pretty much the same as always. Lily and James are still the golden couple. Sirius is still chasing everything and anything that wears a skirt. Peter is as clueless as ever. And Remus is just…well, Remus. What more can I say? Well, I've go to go do homework now. I'll write again soon.

Love,

Sable

P.S. I don't know if you can send me anything where you are. But send me something to know you are okay. Love you.

She reread the letter and stuffed it into an envelope. After sticking her head out of the little window and calling for Aphrodite, she waited until the owl appeared at the window. Tying the paper to the leg of the owl, she watched it fly out of sight to the northeast. She shut the window and went to change into her sleeping clothes, not intending to leave the room for the rest of the evening. Pulling on a tank top and a pair of shorts, she settle on onto her bed to read as a familiar song came across the room from the wizarding wireless. Using her wand, she turned the volume up and she lay the book to one side, concentrating on the music.

Remus paused in the corridor that led to Sable's room from the Gryffindor Common Room. When he and the other guys had gotten back after dinner, they told him to go find her and ask her to the Ball. Figuring she was in her lab, he headed that way. As he drew nearer to the portrait that led into her room, he heard the strains of music coming form the other side. Stopping, he listened carefully to the words of the unfamiliar song as Sable's voice filled his ears.

If you don't know me by now,

You will never, never, never, know me

If you don't know me by now

You will never, never, never know me.

All the things that we've been through

You should understand me, like I understand you.

Now baby I know the difference between right and wrong.

I ain't gonna do nothing to upset our happy home.

Don't get so excited when I come home a little late at night

Cause we only act like children when we argue, fuss, and fight.

"God, what's wrong with her?" he said quietly, " She never listens to stuff that depressing." he sat down in the corridor and listened to her.

We've all got our own funny moods

I've go mine, you've got your too.

Just trust in me, like I trust in you

As long as we've been together

That should be so easy to do

Just get yourself together, or we might as well say goodbye

What good is a love affair if we can't see eye to eye?

As the chorus of the song repeated itself, Remus slipped his hand between the portrait and the wall, slowly pushing it forward. He stuck his head out of the corridor and glanced around the room. Sable was lying on her bed, seemingly staring at a blank canopy. He stepped out of the corridor and shut it quietly behind him. Sable turned around when she heard him step out, andjumped off her bed and straightened her clothes.

"What you doing?" she asked, not really feeling like dealing with him. Remus' eyes glazed over as he took a good look at her. _'It should be illegal to show that much skin.'_ he thought, staring at the shorts she had on.

"Um….there's something I needed to talk to you about. If you got time, that is." he said, gaining a little of his composure back.

"Yeah, I got plenty of time." she said, walking towards the door that led to her lab, oblivious of Remus staring at her legs. "What's wrong? Treble gave you guys extra homework, or something?" she said as she sat down at a table.

"No, it's nothomework."

"Has James and Sirius blown something up, again?"

"No."

"Peter gone missing?"

"Nope."

"Loose a bet?"

"No."

"Well, if everyone's okay, you don't need help with homework, and you didn't loose a bet, then why are you down here on a Friday night? Aren't you guys generally roaming around under James' invisibility cloak right about now; terrorizing people and playing pranks on the Slytherins." Remus only shook his head.

"Nah, ever since James took his oath as Head Boy, we've had to cut back on the amount of jokes we play against the other Houses." Sable smiled.

"Are you having pranking with-drawls yet?" she teased.

"Hey, I said we would cut back, not stop all together."

"So when's the next nightly venture taking place? Anytime soon?"

"We're holding off until next Friday. The Slytherins will have a nice surprise waiting for them the next morning in their Common Room." Sable laughed and Remus grinned.

"So what's on your mind, Remus?" she asked.

"Well, there's something I need to know."

"And that would be…….what?"

"I wanted to know if…….well, you see I ……this is… Will you…that is…"

"Remus, whatever you're trying to say, spit it out already." she said, shaking her head.

"SableIWantedToKnowIfYouWouldGoToTheBallWIthMe. Of course, if you don't want to, I'd completely understand." he said quickly. He looked up and quickly registered the surprise on her face. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders when she smiled at him.

"Of course, I'll go with you Remus." she said. "I'd be honored to."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thank you." he said with a smile. _'You don't realize how hard that was for me.'_

"Hey, no need for thanks." she said, punching him on the shoulder as she passed by him to stir a cauldron that had started simmering. "Actually, when the Headmaster announced it, I had already decided not to go. Now, I have a good reason to."

"You weren't going to go? Why?" he asked.

"Let's just say that I had a few very bad experiences at Balls when I was at Salem. It's not something I particularly want to live through again. Who are Sirius and Peter going with, by the way?" she asked.

"Well, you know how Padfoot is. He's got a list of candidates lined up two meters long. Now he just has to go through and weed out the ones he doesn't want."

"That's harsh, Remus."

"I know, and I don't agree with his tactics, but there's nothing I can do. James and I have tried talking to him. It doesn't do any good whatsoever. And you know how he is when he sees another pretty face. He's after her until he gets her. Look how he acted towards you when we saw you in Diagon Alley and on the train." Sable nodded and grinned. _'_

"What about Peter?"

"I don't know, but I think he' got his eyes on that sixth year Hufflepuff girl, Amanda Keiss."

"The one with the wavy red hair?" she asked. Remus nodded and she smiled. "Good, I wouldn't want to see him go alone. I know how that feels. By the way, how close is the full moon to Halloween this year?"

"Two days after." he said "Good timing, huh?"

"I would say so. Oh, by the way, I've got some good news. I think the potion may be ready by then."

"I thought the brewing time was two months."

"So did I, but the consistency and colors are changing in half the time it should take."

"That is good news."

"No kidding. So what are the specifics for the ball. Anyone told you yet?"

"James said that the only requirement is a mask. You can be anything, but you have to have a mask on." Remus said easily. Now that he had gotten the most important question out of the way, he could talk with her again like normal.

"Any suggestions for costumes?"

"Whatever we go as, it needs to be good." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"They're having a contest to see who has the best costume. The winners get a prize that includes a free weekend in Hogsmeade, homework passes, Honeyduke's chocolate, and a bunch of other stuff."

"That's not a bad incentive."

"No kidding." Remus said with a grin. "So, any ideas?"

"Well, we'll need something different from everyone else. Not the normal hag, ogre, and troll routine." She walked over to her bookshelf and fingered some of the spines. A smile suddenly came to her face as an idea hit her. "How about we pick two characters form a Muggle fairytale? I doubt anyone else will think of that."

Remus nodded, liking the idea.

"Sounds good to me." he admitted. "Who are we going as?" Sable laughed and handed him a worn copy of _Grimm's Fairy Tales._

"I'll tell you what," she said, "you take this book and read a few of the stories. When you find one you like, tell me and we can go as them. Now, I've got work to do, mister. So scram." she said with a smile.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked with a mocking tone.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." she answered saucily. "You've got some reading to do, now go."

"And if I don't?" he asked playfully.

"I'll think up some horrible form of torture that you have to endure when I get my hands on you." she dead-panned.

"Okay, okay. I'm going." He went through he door and opened up the portrait hole. He tuned back and grinned. "Night, Sable."

"Goodnight, Remus." she said. "Now get lost." Remus laughed and shook his head.

"What if I get so lost, and I can't find my way back?" he asked, pouting like a baby.

"Remus." she said warningly. She tried to hide the smile that was coming, but didn't succeed. He could act like such a baby some times.

"Okay, I'm gone." he said, pulling the portrait closed behind him. As soon as they heard the click of the portrait catch latching, both Sable and Remus lid down to the floor, identical smiled plastered to their faces. _'Yes!'_

_

* * *

_

Later on that night, Sable was awakened by a scraping noise in her room. Grabbing her wand, she jumped out of bed and checked her lab and bedroom.

Nothing.

Figuring it was her imagination, she lay back down, intent ongoing back to sleep when she saw a book lying on the foot of her bed. It was the book of fairytales she had given to Remus earlier that evening. She picked it up and a piece of parchment fell out. Picking it up form her comforter, she saw Remus' neat writing on it.

Turn to page 143. That's my answer. Seemed appropriate, don't you think?"

Sable flipped the book to the page. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. On the page was a picture of a beautiful girl and an ugly monster outside a large castle that looked eerily like Hogwarts.

"Beauty and the Beast" she whispered, running her finger down the page." You are a glutton for punishment, aren't you Remus? But, if that's what you want. That's what your gonna get." She shut the book and placed it back on her bed stand before going to sleep once again.

* * *

A/N - Hey peeps. Remember to leave me a review. Love all of you peoples.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer - It's not mine, never was.

* * *

Wolf's Bane

Chapter 12

Problems on the Pitch

* * *

Saturday morning found Remus tucked away in hisbed in the boy's dorms. He had slipped back into Sable's room earlier that morning, leaving the book and his choice for the costumes. She hadn't heard him come in, but he had woken her up in his haste to get out. He thought he had gotten away scot free from his midnight wanderings when Sirius caught him coming back into the dorm. Not wanting a confrontation with the taller boy at three in the morning, he had told Sirius that he would explain his late night ramblings in the morning. Sirius had let him go, knowing Remus would tell him the next day. Remus, however, knew that Quidditch tryouts were the next morning. Since James and Sirius were on the team, they would be occupied from early morning until lunch time. That's why he was surprised when he heard a door slam and felt the covers pulled off of him at seven in the morning.

"What the Hell?….Sirius…" Remus yelled.

"Alright, Moony," Sirius sad loudly. "I want answers. Where'd you go last night?"

"Damn it, Sirius." the boy grumbled. "Aren't you supposed to be at Quidditch tryouts right now?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and let out a huge yawn.

"James gave us a half hour break. And quit trying to change the subject. Where'd you go? As your best friend, I have a right to know."

"I just want you to know that right now, I hate you more than life itself, Padfoot!" Remus answered.

"That's fine. You'll change your mind by lunch time." Sirius smiled. "Now where did our little Remy sneak out to last night? Hmm?" Remus was still too sleepy to actually think up an answer. So, like the idiot he was in the early morning, he said the first thing that came to mind, the truth.

"I went to go see Sable." he admitted, rubbing his eyes in the bright morning sun, not thinking before he spoke.

"You went to the girl's dorm at three in the morning?" Sirius asked, not quite believing that Remus would do that. "Man, Moony, we need to give you more credit than we do. I though James and I were the only ones with enough guts to do that. Never pegged you for a night time voyager."

"She wasn't in the dorms. She was in her room downstairs." Remus yawned again, then realized what he had just said, as well as what he had been saying. His eyes got really wide and he felt like smacking himself. _'Oh man, I've done it now!'_

"What?" a very surprised Sirius asked.

"Forget you ever heard that." Remus groaned, covering his head with his pillow and muttering some rather colorful curses to himself.

"Wait a minute, Moony." Sirius said seriously. "What room? Sable's not in the girl's dorm?" Remus shook his head and yawned again, trying to get his brain to wake up fully. But he only succeeded in getting a mouth full of pillow. He sat back up and blinked at Sirius. Figuring it was pointless to lie to him, Remus prepared to tell him the truth. "I didn't think so. So, what room is it? Where's it at?"

"It's a room off of the DADA corridor." he said dejectedly. Oh boy was he going to catch heck when Sable found out he had told Sirius, by accident or not.

"Near where you disappeared after we got back to school?" he questioned, becoming very interested.

"The same one. There's a door behind the sixth suit of armor. It leads to the room where she had set up her lab." he ran a hand through his messy hair and yawned again.

"But the Fat Lady won't let anyone out after curfew without the password from the Heads. How'd you get out? I already checked to see if she had let you out."

"There's a passageway behind the picture of Agrippa and Merlin in the Common Room. It leadsinto the rooms where she works. I used it to get out." Sirius looked impressed.

"There's no passageway on the map." he said.

"That's because we never drew it in." Remus said, stretching. "Just like Sable's rooms. We never drew it in cause we didn't know they were there. Neither of them show up on the map."

"Rooms? How many rooms does she have down there?"

"Two. Her lab and another one she turned into a dorm room." he said.

"And which one does the passage lead into?" Sirius asked, raising he eyebrows. Remus was finally fully awake, and he didn't like the way the conversation was turning.

"Her dorm room." he said quickly. Sirius grinned and continued to prod at his friend.

"So you snuck out of the dorms at three in the morning to go down a secret passageway that led straight into the bedroom of the girl who you are head over heels in love with?"

"Pretty much."

"And what exactly was so important that you had to make enough racket to wake half the people in here up?" Sirius was having too much fun poking fun at Remus about this.

"I had to bring a book back to her that she had lent to me." He answered truthfully. Sirius looked more than just a littledoubtful.

"Right, Moony. And I'm as celibate as a monk." he said sarcastically.

"That is really more information than I needed to know. I don't want to hear that much about your personal life."

"Well, it's a lot more plausible than your story." Sirius countered. Remus thought the entire story sounded a little far fetched, even though it was the truth.

"Whatever. I'm not arguing with you." he said. Sirius grinned like a maniac. "Don't give me that look, Padfoot. Nothing happened. If you don't believe me, ask Sable. She'll tell you." Sirius had amaniacal grin on his face and it scared Remus.

"Yeah, I was wondering why she seemed to be in such a good mood this morning when she met us on the Pitch." he said. "She had a night time visit from You. No wonder she's been smiling all morning. She was even nice to Flint when he purposely sent a Bludger flying toward her. Hmmm, wonder why?"

"Padfoot, you are about to seriously regret coming up here to bug me about this." Remus threatened, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him.

"Okay, okay. I get the point. I'm leaving. It's about time for our break to end. Why don't you come on out to the Pitch? Everyone is already out there watching tryouts." Sirius said as he walked out of the door, laughing the whole time.

Remus shook his head and got out of bed. Throwing on whatever he could find and running a comb through his messy hair, he made it down to the Quidditch Pitch in record time. Looking up into the stands, he spotted the flame haired Lily and the ebony haired Sable.

The air was a blur of scarlet, emerald, yellow, and blue robes. Each team occupied a corner of the field, and tryouts were well underway already. The day was unusually warm and clear. Remus ran up the stairs and joined the others just in time to see a red-headed boy send a Bludger flying towards Michael Bell and Chris McIntosh, the two fifth year Gryffindor Beaters. Remus noticed a few of the younger students at the end of the stands. They all seemed completely transfixed by the tryouts. Another little boy was coming up the steps to join his friends. _'That's that Thomas kid, Sable's friend.'_ he thought. He walked over to where Lily, Sable, and Peter were sitting.

"Morning everyone." he said cheerfully. The two girls and Peter smiled and nodded.

"Hey, Moony."

"Mornin' Remus."

"It's about time you got up?" Sable picked at him. "Late night last night?" She gave him that I-Know-What-You-Did look and Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Something like that." he answered vaguely. He motioned over to the little kids and nodded. "Isn't that Thomas?" he asked. Sable glanced over and nodded before calling to the little boy.

"Hey, Thomas, wait a minute." she said, waving at him and smiling. "I'll be back in a minute, you guys." She got up from her seat and went over to the little boy. Remus went over to say hello, since it seemed like the boy was kind of shy.

"Hey, Thomas. What have you been doing?" she asked.

"Nothing much, just trying to make it through my classes." he said with a shy smile. "How about you? Been getting adjusted back to like at Hogwarts?"

"I've been quite well, actually." she said pleasantly. She glanced out to the Pitch and waved her hand. "So, what's your expert opinion on the try-outs? See anything of interest?"

"Well, I was looking at the other team's line-up. They're all so different. Slytherins going for size and strength; but forgetting that most of the bigger players fly slower because of the size. Hufflepuff is going for smaller, more lithe players. Which is fine, but the majority of their team is all new people. The Ravenclaws are going for speed, but forgetting that talent doesn't always follow speed. I guess they are hoping to get by on good plays and tactics. And as for us, I don't know what's going on. I just got here." he said truthfully. Sable was speechless, and Remus was impressed. Sable let a sudden smile go and the boy blushed in embarrassment.

"I think James needs to recruit you for the team as a statistics manager or something." she said happily.

"That's not a half bad idea." Remus said. "Seems like he's the only one who's had sense enough to size up the other teams." Thomas only shrugged in indifference.

"I'm just doing the sensible thing." he said. "It's just like anything else you try to do. You watch your opponents for their weaknesses. When you determine where they are weak, you capitalize off of the mistakes they make. Simple strategy." he finished smoothly, looking over the field to where the Ravenclaw students were trying out. This time, Remus looked at the kid in astonishment, then chuckled. "What?" Thomas asked.

"Are you sure you were put in the right House?" he questioned. Sable shot a death glare at him and the boy looked up at her, confused and looking slightly put out.

"Pardon me?"

"You sound like the Slytherin's team captain. I heard him saying pretty much the same thing not even ten minutes ago, when I walked by."

"I'm not a Slytherin." he said flatly. "Maybe the captain was having a moment of enlightenment when common sense takes over. From what I hear, that's rare infor him." Tomas said.

"You're no Slytherin, that's for sure." Sable said, trying to pump the boys confidence back up. "It's just scary that a Gryffindor and Slytherin were thinking on the same plane of thought. Personally, I didn't think that House was capable of that." Thomas grinned again and Sable hugged him. "Well, go on Thomas, I don't want to hold you from your friends any longer. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you."

"Thanks, Sable." he said quietly. She only nodded and turned to walk back to Lily and Peter. Remus was following right behind her, chuckling at the boy's embarrassment.

* * *

'The poor kid is so scared of being around her, it's almost hilarious. God, did you see that blush when she hugged him? Merlin knows what he would do is he actually kissed him on the cheek, or something. He blushes every time she comes around. It seems like Sable has captured the heart of a certain brown haired Scottish boy.'

'Yeah, this coming from another brown haired boy who is just as scared to be around her at any time because he's afraid he's going to make a fool of himself.'

'No, not you again.' Remus sighed in frustration as his conscious came back.

****

'Yep.'

_'Go away. And I mean NOW!'_

'Now that is not very Gryffindor-like of you Remus, picking on the boy when you are just as taken by Sable as he is. Just goes to prove that the boy has good taste in girls.'

'I don't care what it means. Go away!' he thought tiredly.

****

'So, have you asked her to the Ball yet?'

'You're my conscious, you should know.' Remus thought sarcastically.

****

'Okay, stupid question.'

'Exactly, now GET LOST!'

'Alright already. I'm going. But here's a little piece of advice. Just because she's going to the Ball with you doesn't mean she can't be dating someone else afterwards. Remember that, you thick headed fool! She's too good of a girl to waste on someone else. Especially when you know you love the girl.'

Remus shook his head disgustedly, trying to get rid of the annoying voice telling him stuff he didn't want to hear. He settled in and watched the tryouts for the team, not really paying much attention to what was going on.

Sable was tired of watching the boys trying out for the positions on the team. She had always liked Quidditch, even played a little, but she was no where as obsessed as Sirius. She sighed and stood up to leave the stands.

"Leaving so soon?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, James has already made his choice, whether he realizes it or not. Right now, he's just babbling on to the kids. I think I'm going for a walk. I'll see you guys later." She waved and departed from the stands. Remus watched her go down the steps until she finally got to the ground. She started walking away and he watched as she got smaller and smaller against the skyline until someone in green robes obviously said something that caught her attention. He watched her storm over there and say something to him. Squinting his eyes against the morning sun, he recognized Cody Flint as the perpetrator.

His blood started boiling and he stood up to leave the stands.

* * *

Sable was minding her own business, caught up in her own thoughts when she passed by the Slytherin team. She pointedly ignored the whistles and catcalls coming from the older members when she passed by. The whistles continued on, and finally, she became fed up. Leaving her walk until later, she stormed up to the Slytherin team, Hell bent on shutting at least one, if not all, of them up for good.

"Alright, Flint," she said menacingly. "I've asked you nicely before. Now I'm telling you. LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! If you don't, you are severely going to regret t it." she could hear snickers coming form the team member behind her, that only infuriated her even more.

"Why should I leave you alone?" he questioned, "What are you going to do, slap me? It's a good show for all of us."

"How about you shove that piss-ass broomstick up you ass, and then try to fly. I'm pretty sure It'll be an improvement compared to what I just saw. Your flying tactics have gotten sloppy, Flint. Such a pity." She heard the others grow quiet She knew that Flint was the best Chaser on any of the House teams, everyone did. She eyed the boy stonily and turned to leave when he caught her wrist, forcing her to turn back to face hem. He got closer to her face and lowered his voice considerably, obviously angry.

"So if my flying is so bad, you think you could do better?"

"I know I could." she answered flatly, never breaking eye contact with the considerably bigger boy. Flint snickered and smiled evilly.

"You've got to be kidding me? How long has it been since you've been on a broom with a Quaffle in you hands?"

"Not so long that I've forgotten how to beat a slime ball like you at Quidditch, I can assure you of that."

"So you think you can beat me? The best Chaser in Hogwarts?" he questioned. Sable's temper had taken a hold of her, and she was not about to back down from the challenge he was issuing.

"I know I can." she replied firmly.

"How about we test your theory? Ten shots. Each one of us Keeping for the other." he suggested, coming closer to her. Sable guessed that he was trying to use his size to intimidate her._ 'Well, I got news for him, it isn't working.'_

"What are the stakes?" Flint backed up a little and looked over at his team. They were all grinning at her craziness to take on their captain.

"If you win, I will completely ignore you for the rest of the year. Seems like a good enough reason considering you do everything in your power to avoid me."

"Oh, I'm sorry." she sad sarcastically. "I didn't mean for my obvious dislike of you to be so noticeable that even YOU could see it. I must be losing my touch. Darn." She looked at the boy and frowned. "And if I let you win?"

"Then I will collect my prize at a later date, since I can't seem to think of anything at the moment." he smirked. "So, you game? Or has that famous Gryffindor courage deserted you?" Sable was about to answer when she felt someone land next to her. It was Sirius.

"What's going on here?" he asked, glaring at the Slytherin team.

"Nothing that concerns you, Black. I assure you." Flint said icily. "But if you must know, Ms. Robbins and I have made a little wager."

"What kind of wager?" he asked suspiciously, looking down at Sable.

"We each get ten shots. Whoever scores the most out of ten collects on the bet. He's Keeping against me, and vice versa." she answered , her voice low and full of loathing.

"What's the stakes?" Sirius asked.

"If she wins, she hears nothing out of me for the rest of the year. If I win, I collect later, when I've had time to think of something…….suitable for payment." he said, eyeing the fuming girl in from of him with an appreciative glance.

"How about I just beat the daylights out of you now, and save her the trouble of showing you up in front of your team that you are supposed to be getting in shape for the season." Sirius said, clenching his fist.

"That won't be necessary, Padfoot." came another boys voice. "Not if I get my hands on him first." Remus walked up behind Sable and put a protective hand on her shoulder, daring anyone to defy him. Noticing the possessive way Lupin was acting, Flint smirked.

"What's wrong, Robbins? You got a body guard now? Too afraid of going around school without someone there to protect you?" he queried, noticing the violent shade of red her face was turning because of her anger.

"Why, Flint? Jealous you didn't get the position? That way, you could take inventory of the rest of my 'assets and attributes?'" she growled.

"Hey, I wouldn't complain. I'd relish in a position like that." He grinned Sable felt Remus and Sirius tense up at the mention of a Slytherin having anything to do with a Gryffindor.

"I know where to find you, alright." she said. "In one of the seven circles of hell!" Remus growled when the boy smirked again. "You ready for me to whip your ass in your own game?" She asked, throwing off her school robe and putting them on the sidelines. Her robes had covered her khaki shorts and red tank top. Flint nodded and got the Quaffle from a member of his team.

"Let's go, and I'll show you exactly who's gotten sloppy." he said. "Ready to go?"

"After you." she answered sarcastically. She borrowed Sirius' broom and went to take off into the air when Remus stopped her.'

"What are you doing?" he hissed. "He's the best Chaser in Hogwarts, no one can out score him, even Sirius." Sable only smiled at Remus' concern and winked at him.

"I know what I'm doing." she said. "He may be good, but he's overconfident." He let her go and shook his head as she floated away from him. It had been almost two years since she had actually gotten onto a broom, let alone played a real Quidditch game. She kicked into the air. As she gained altitude, she saw that everyone on the Pitch had gathered around to watch the Slytherin/Gryffindor grudge match. She took her position in front of the goals, her mind focused only on stopping Flint from scoring. She could hear the excited chatter below her as she readied for the attack.

"WIPE THE SKY WITH HIM!"

"MAKE HIM EAT BROOM DUST!"

"SWEEP HIM OUT OF THE GAME!"

"GO AHEAD, SABLE, SHOW THAT SNAKE WHO THE BEST FLYER IN THIS SCHOOL IS!"

"FLINT'S GOING TO BE SEEING DANCING QUAFFLES WHEN SHE GETS DONE BEATING THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF HIM!"

Flint wasted no time in rushing her, efficiently putting three straight shots past her before she could stop him. The next four shots were duds, and she easily clocked them. His last two shots were better planned, and he caught her out from in front of the goals both times to easily put the Quaffle though. When his last shot went through, cheers erupted form the Slytherin team. Flint sneered and flew closer to the goal posts, eyeing her the whole time. When he drew close enough to hand her the ball, he snickered at the determined look on her face.

"You know what you're going to have to do for me when you loosed?" he asked, looking at her with a hungry expression. "I'm going to make sure that shiny little reputation as a good girl is as destroyed as it can possibly get. No one is going to want to be near you, ever again, when I get done."

"You'll never beat me, Flint. No matter how hard you try, you'll never beat me at anything, may it be Quidditch anything else."

"That's what you think, little girl. You haven't seen the other side of me yet."

"And if it's a side anything like what I'm looking at now, I don't want to see it." She snatched to Quaffle and flew off towards the center of the field while Flint went to the front of the goals.

She felt more at home with the ball in her hands. She dug deep in her memory to find the flying skills she had tucked away years ago. Remembering the plays she had helped Jams to develop her last here at the school, she let her memories guide her actions. She made two sots, then missed one. She quickly made up for the lost shot by scoring four successive shots without a mistake. The next two were misses, but the last one was a shot to remember.

Flint, realizing that their scores were tied and that she still had one shot left, bared down and watched her every move. Using Flint's own trick shot against him, she feinted to the left, causing him to follow her. Before he could realize that his own play was being used against him, Sable looped him and put the Quaffle through the unguarded hoop. The crowds erupted into cheers underneath her. Looking over to the Slytherin captain, she noticed the glares of ice he was giving her. She turned away and landed on the Pitch, some fifty feet below her.

Lily was waiting for her as she landed. She was smiling brightly and James and Sirius were on the ground laughing . Remus pulled her off of the broom and into a tight hug. She laughed and hugged back.

"Don't ever do that again." he whispered fiercely. Sable gave him a quizzical glance than showed that she didn't understand. "Promise me that you'll never bet yourself against any wager you make." Sable didn't know what caused him to become so worried, but she didn't really care. He was holding tightly onto her and she was loving every minute of it.

"I promise, Remus." she said, breaking out of the hug before anyone started thinking things. Little Thomas was immediately by her side.

"Geez, Sable, I didn't know you could fly like that!" he said excitedly.

"Well, there's a lot of things a lot of people don't know about me, Thomas." she said, smiling down at him.

"Can you teach me to do that? Huh, can you?" he asked with pleading eyes. Sable smiled and ruffled his hair.

"When we both have some free time, I'll teach you, kiddo." Thomas hugged her and went off to tell his friends of his good fortune.

"Maybe James should recruit you for the team." Michael Bell said with a laugh.

"It doesn't look like he's going to be doing anything for a while, at least until he gets over this laughing fit. Sirius, too." Lily said with a grin. Sable kicked some dirt onto the two boys and grinned.

"Come on James," she said. "It's not that funny. Calm down before you burst something. You too, Sirius." Unfortunately, the two Marauders were down on the ground, nearly in hysterics.

"You don't…understand……….Sable…he's ….best……Chaser in ……..Hogwarts….and you…..out…scored…..him!" James gasped out through his bouts of laughing. Sirius was not better.

"Bloody…..idiot was……beaten by………a girl…..hasn't been…….on a broom……in …….two…..years!" With that, the boys bust out into a fresh bout of laughing. Sable shook her head an fastened the hook on her school robes.

"I'm going back up to the castle. I'll see you guys later. I've got work to do."

"Hang on. I'm coming with you." Remus called out, running to catch up with her. Lily watched the two friends walk off, disappearing behind the stands. She smiled and put her attention back on her temporarily incapacitated boyfriend, who was still recovering from his uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

Sable and Remus had just made it past the stands when Flint flew in front of the, cutting off their intended pathway.

"What do you want, Flint?" Remus growled, pulling Sable closer to him unconsciously.

"Nothing that concerns you." he barked back.

"What is it, Flint?" Sable asked, getting annoyed quickly.

"I just wanted to say good game." he said stiffly.

"Thank you. Now hold up your end of the deal and leave me alone." she replied icily.

"Of course, of course," he said. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your victory snog or anything." Remus was getting very irritated with the other boy.

"Well, that 's what you're doing. Now get lost." Remus said. Sable's eyes got really big and she didn't know what to say or do, so she played along.

"Yeah, Flint. Don't you have a team waiting for you?"

"You have got to be kidding me, Sabriel. You and that '_thing_' are together. I though you had more sense that that." Flint said disbelievingly.

"What Flint? You don't believe us?" Remus asked.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't." he said.

"Well, watch and learn. This is the second time you've been proven wrong in one day." Remus said. He gently turned Sable around and leaned down to kiss her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him, her voice low so Flint couldn't hear.

"Play along, please." he whispered to her. Her eyes were wide with surprise, but she gave a curt nod and grinned.

"I hope you know what you're doing." she said. He smiled and pulled her close and claimed her mouth with his own.

Any coherent thought she was trying to form, immediately fled the minute they touched. She wasn't about to pull away form him now, come Hell or high water. She put her arms around him an melted into the kiss. It felt like fireworks were exploding in her head as her blood began to pump through her veins at an alarming rate. She was sure that Remus could feel her hear beating like a drum, but he didn't seem to notice. She lost herself in the unfamiliar sensations that he caused, almost making her looked her thin grip on reality. _'Oh boy, we're in deep shit now!'_ she thought to herself. _'Oh well.'_

Remus didn't now what to expect when he kissed her again. He was expecting it to be like the last time, in the Heads Common Room. But it wasn't supposed to be like this. He felt his blood boil when she touched him, it was like fire coursing thorough his veins._ 'Merlin, she's sweet!'_ he thought. He shifted a little and put his hand sunder her robes, pulling her as close as possible. He was losing his thread on reality quick, so he pulled away from her. She gasped when he broke off the kiss, and he almost lost his mind when he looked at her. Her face was flushed, her cheeks red, and her eyes held a look of overwhelming innocence that shocked him. _'She's gong to kill me now.'_ he thought. _'If she doesn't, then I'm gong to wind up killing myself!'_ He looked into her hooded eyes and smiled. She grinned back and blushed even more. Remus turned her around and put his arms around her waist.

"Believe us now?" Sable asked. Flint gaped at the two Gryffindors in front of him. _'Oh, Snape isn't gong to like this little turn of events one bit.'_ he thought.

"I can't believe you, Sabriel." he said. "I thought you had more sense than to align yourself with the weak side of the school, especially him."

"That just goes to show you how much you know about me." She replied fiercely, interlacing her fingers into Remus'.

"I guess you're right." he said. He shook his head and took off, leaving the two Gryffindor teenagers standing halfway between the Pitch and the school. Sable and Remus looked at each other and blushed scarlet red. They couldn't look at each other without getting into an awkward situation. They broke apart and looked down at the ground.

"Sable…I…"

"Oh boy….what.."

"I KNEW IT!" he yelled, running towards them. "I TOLD JAMES THAT YOU TWO WOULD WIND UP TOGETHER!" Sable and Remus jerked around and saw the over excited Marauder running toward them at high speed, red Quidditch robes flying behind him.

'Oh, shit. He saw us.'

* * *

Sirius was grinning like a baby at Christmas when he walked up to the two flustered friends. His booming voice carried back across the field to the stands, and thirty seconds later James and Lily were standing in front of them. Sable quickly put some more distance between herself and Remus.

"What's this I hear about you two getting together?" James asked.

"We're not together!" the guilty pair said in unison. Lily raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Really?" Sirius asked skeptically, "What I just saw surely doesn't compromise a normal friendship. In fact, it points in the other direction completely."

"What happened?" Lily asked, glancing at the two flustered friends in front of her. Knowing exactly what had happened since she had seen the whole episode from the stands. Remus wouldn't meet her gaze and Sable suddenly found the ground very interesting. "Well?"

"I was coming to catch up with them to ask Sable if she wanted to join the team as a reserve, like James had suggested." Sirius said, "Then, when I came around the stands, all I could see were these two,snogging like there's no tomorrow." Sable and Remus fidgeted, but tried to talk their way out of what Sirius had just seen.

"It's not what you think..." she stuttered.

"Yeah, we were trying to prove a point to Flint." Remus finished.

"What, that humans can survive for over two minutes without any air?" Sirius asked with a grin. Sable glared at the boy, wishing he would just go away.

"You would know more about that than I would, Sirius Black. And from what Arabella Figg tells me, you can go for twice that long!" she snapped. Remus tried to camouflage a laugh as a cough, but didn't succeed very well.

"What exactly did Flint want to know?" James asked, trying desperately to suppress a grin that was threatening to escape.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Sable said, "So I'm not even going to try to explain." She smoothed the wrinkles out of her robe and looked back up at the gathered group. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I think there is a noose waiting for me in my room. Good day." _'That way I can die of embarrassment in the privacy of my own room.'_ she thought wryly. She turned around and speedily walked away, up the path to the castle. Remus tried to sneak away too, but Sirius caught him. He had took off in the opposite direction of the castle, back towards the Pitch.

"Where you going, Moony?" he laughed, "Sable's back the other way." He pointed up the pathway to the castle door. Remus didn't even turn around before he yelled back to them.

"I'm going to go crawl up in a hole and die somewhere from embarrassment!" He disappeared around the stands soon after.

"If those two don't get together soon, they're gonna drive me nuts!" Sirius said, "All this pussy-footin' around is enough to drive a sane man crazy!"

"Yeah, so Merlin knows what it would do to you, Padfoot." James said automatically.

"That was low, Prongs." Sirius said. "Good, but low."

"For once, I agree with him." Lily said. James nodded in agreement. Suddenly, he realized exactly how to get the two stubborn friends together. Lily noticed the evil glint in he eyes and frowned. "What are you thinking, James Potter?" she asked cautiously.

"I've got an idea." he said simply.

"Now what?" Sirius asked.

"I'm not sure if it will work or not." James said. "Give me a few days to work out the details, then I'll tell you."

* * *

Sable stomped through the corridors of Hogwarts. She was so upset, angry and embarrassed that she was not really watching where she was going. _'I can't believe that just happened to me.'_ she thought angrily. _'I never thought Sirius could be so callous.'_

"I swear I'll kill him when I get my hands on him." she muttered. Her eyes were blurring with unshed tears, causing everything to meld together. _'I've got to get to my room before someone sees me like this.'_ she thought, picking up her pace considerably. She turned a sharp corner on her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor and ran smack into a group of Slytherins coming up from the dungeons. Sable stumbled back for the force of the impact, wiping her bleary eyes on her robe's hem.

"What have we here, boys?" she heard one of them say. She glanced up, recognizing the tallest of the boys as Robert Vedreene. "Looks like we have a little lost Gryffindor rambling around the castle on a beautiful day like today."

"Stuff it, Vedreene. I don't fell like fooling with you right now." she barked, trying to push past him. _'What is it with me having run ins with nasty Slytherins today?'_ she questioned herself. The other two boys smirked and stepped in front of her, once again blocking the path.

"What's wrong, Robbins? Having a bad day?" Vedreene taunted. Sable's anger was already threatening to explode. She spun around to face the blonde boy.

"Look Vedreene, you pea-brained snake, I'm not in the mood to play games with you. Now make your two speechless groupies move out of my way." The tall boy said nothing to her in response, since there was someone coming down the hallway at an alarmingly fast rate. His eyes narrowed into slits when Severus Snape stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the hallway.

"Is there a problem here?" he questioned them, "Mr. Vedreene, Ms. Robbins?" _'Nothing I can't handle on my own, thank you, Severus.'_ she thought.

"Nothings going on Severus," Vedreene said smoothly, "Just some friendly banter about the upcoming Quidditch season." Snape glared at the boy and sneered.

"Very well then, Vedreene," he said. "Take Bellos and Marks and get out of here. You know students aren't supposed to be roaming the classroom hallways on weekends. Now go!" Sable watched the three boys leave, disgustion written on their faces. Without another thought, she turned to leave, but Severus stopped her.

"Are you okay, Ms. Robbins?" he asked. Sable frowned at the formality he addressed her with. But her mood had suddenly gotten better with his obvious concern for her well being.

"I am fine Severus, thank you for your concern. But do me a favor, okay?" she gave him a weak smile. "Call me Sable will you? The whole formality thing is killing me." Snape nodded and almost smiled at her.

"I'll try to remember that." he said.

"Thank you, Severus."

"Why aren't you outside, watching the tryouts?I figured Potter and Black would have had you and Lily out there." Sable shook her head and nodded.

"I was out there for a while, but I decided to come back in to do some work. I need to update my Potion's journal for Professor Treble." She found Severus an easy person to talk with, even though he acted frigid at times. She really didn't think he was as bad as the others made him out to be. _'Of course, I have been wrong about people before.'_ she thought.

"Yes, I'm afraid my Transfiguration homework had to take priority over the journal. There are a few entries I'm missing as well." he said. They had started walking back down the hallway towards the Great Hall, oblivious to the odd looks they were receiving from other students. It was about half an hour before lunchtime, so they sat down at the Slytherin table to wait for lunch to be served.

The talked about various subjects: Potions, Quidditch, and the upcoming Halloween Ball, and things like that. They didn't notice when other students started filing into the hall for luch, at least not until both the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams came in. Both groups were bickering at each other when they entered the hall. When the Slytherins noticed Sable sitting at their table, a collective silence fell over them. The Gryffindors soon followed suit.

James and Remus had been discussing tactics when they entered the hall. James and Sirius had managed to coax him out of hiding long enough to get something to eat. Now, James was wishing that he had left him to his misery. Remus saw Sable sitting at the head of the Slytherin table with Severus Snape and almost burst an artery. Sirius came up behind them and followed their line of sight to the Slytherin tables. When he saw Snape conversing with the ebony haired girl, he _did_ burst an artery.

"What is she doing over there with him?" he asked loudly. Flint and the other Slytherins smirked and laughed.

"Maybe she finally decided to quit hanging around a bunch of loserslike you, Black. Sherealized that staying around you would bring down her social standings. Now she wants to move up in the world a little."

Snape saw the teams enter and pointed it out to Sable. She saw her friends staring at her like she had grown three extra heads, disbelief and anger apparent on their faces.

"I think we should separate before we cause any riots in here." Snape said quietly, motioning towards the two opposing teams. Sable looked up and nodded in agreement. They sure didn't seem to happy about something.

"Your right, Severus. I better get going before they think you've done something to me. I'll talk to you later, okay. Bye." She smiled at him and left the Slytherin table, walking across the hall to the Gryffindor's table. She walked up to James, Sirius, and Remus and frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Sirius asked incredousely. "You were sitting at the Slytherin table, talking to possibly the slimiest, most underhanded of all the Slytherins. And you're asking what's wrong with this?" Sable's anger was coming back on full blast, again.

"Is there a problem with that? I didn't know that I was supposed to ask your permission before I spoke to someone not of Gryffindor House." she said icily.

"Whoa, calm down." James said, "He didn't mean it like that. Right, Padfoot?" Sirius stared at the girl in anger.

"Why were you over there?" Remus asked quietly, the hurt almost evident in his voice. Sable rounded on him too. _'I can't believe these guys!'_ she thought.

"I don't know what made you three think that I'm your personal property, but I'm not. I can talk to whoever I want. Whether any of you like it or not! This ridiculous rivalry you have with the other houses is childish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some place to be." She eyed the three boys, but her gaze held the longest on Remus, the hurt apparent in her eyes. _'I can't believe they're treating me like some little child.'_ she thought. She turned around and left the hall with a huff.

"I am going to kill Snape next time we decide to prank him." Sirius said, taking a seat in the hall after Sable had stormed out. "That jerk has it coming, messing with Sable." Remus was mulling over what had just happened. _'What is happening? She isn't supposed to be talking to anyone from Slytherin. Doesn't she remember what happened last year to that Collins girl? Oh wait, she wasn't here last year, so she doesn't know. Maybe someone needs to tell her exactly why the Slytherins are such bad company.'_ He looked down at his plate, but didn't feel like eating. He realized that his thoughts were selfish, but he really didn't care. He didn't want anyone to lay a hand on that girl. And the only way he could keep an eye on her was when he was with her. Something was telling him that someone, namely a few Slytherins and one Ravenclaw, would try to get her attention at any cost. He wasn't ready to lose her to anyone yet. _'Merlin, what am I going to do?'_

"Remus. Hey, earth to Remus!" James said. Remus broke out of his self induced monologue and looked at his friend.

"What? I'm sorry James, I wasn't paying attention." James looked over at the brown headed boy and shook his head.

"I was just telling Sirius that we need to plan our prank for this weekend."

"Oh, yeah. Any ideas for a victim so far." Moony asked. The two other boys went on a tangent about who they needed to prank, but all Remus could think of was a very upset Sable holed up in her room, more than likely crying her eyes out over the obvious feeling of distrust she thought her friends had in her. He decided to go down there and make sure that she was okay. At least that way he could explain to her exactly why the boys kept such a close watch on the girls. It was all for safety. They didn't need a repeat performance from last year. _'Especially if it's Sable those filthy fools get their hands on. I'll kill every single one of them if they ever touch her.'_ he thought angrily.

* * *

Sable was indeed holed up in her room, working on her potions. She had spent the whole evening trying to calm down from the hectic day she'd had. _'This is ridiculous, I can't believe that they don't trust me. What have I done that has changed their attitude towards me?'_ she pulled out the translated version of the Celtic spell book and flipped to the appropriate page, trying to loose herself in her work.

According to the book, the potion was supposed to brew for two full moon cycles. But the odd part about the Wolfsbane Potion, as she had so named it, was the speed at which it was finishing up. It seemed like everything that was supposed to happen was happening in exactly half of the time. _'I guess it's a side effect of the alterations of the potion.'_ she thought. She looked back into the cauldron and sighed. _'It's time to add my blood.'_ She left the cauldron over the fire and went into her room to pull out a little pocket knife her mother and father had given her. The handle was the color of mother of pearl. She flicked open the blade and it shined in the light of her bedroom. She put the blade up to her arm and tested the sharpness of the blade. It easily shaved off a little patch of hair on her arm. _'Still sharp as ever, go figure.'_ she thought. She went back into her laboratory, but stopped when she heard the statue outside the entrance corridor slide open to allow someone in. _'Oh, god, please don't let it be any of them. This really isn't the best of times.' _She keened her head towards the entrance as the steps grew stronger. The covering over the entrance was quickly pushed aside, revealing the form of Remus. Sable rolled her eyes and sighed. _'I really don't feel like dealing with him after today.' _she thought exasperatedly.

"Something I can do for you this evening, Remus?" she asked quietly. He was a little taken back by the coldness in her voice.

"I needed to talk to you about what happened earlier today." he said. Sable only shrugged and flicked open the blade of the knife. Looking closely at the girl, Remus tried to figure out what was going on. _'What's she doing with a knife?'_ he thought.

"Exactly which part of today did you want to discuss with me?" she said sarcastically, "Maybe the impromptu Quidditch game between the Slytherin captain and myself? Was it the part where both of us made fools of ourselves in front of Flint and Sirius? Or was it the part where you guys all but accused me of being a traitor to the Gryffindor House when I was talking with Severus Snape. Or maybe it was when we got into that little shouting match in the middle of the Great Hall?" she stared intently at the boy, her voice never faltering. "So, Remus, where do you want to start, they are all stimulating topics of conversation. Don't you think so?" She looked down at the knife blade in her hand and shivered.

Remus hadn't realized that the whole day had ended up rather badly for her. He was so concerned with keeping her safe from those under-handed Slytherins, that he didn't even realize what had happened. He walked up to the cauldron, trying to control his own temper with her. She never looked up as he talked.

"I'm sorry." he said honestly. "I'll admit that the circumstances of today have been stressful, but there is something I need to explain to you before it's too late." Sable only shook her head, not really caring what he had to say.

"What do you want, Remus? I really don't feel like having this conversation right now." she held out her hand and brought the blade up to the palm of her hand. Remus didn't know what she was about to do, but it shocked him to see her obviously about to cut herself. She pointed the blade at the center of her hand and was about to make a small incision when Remus caught her hands in his own.

"What are you doing?" he asked loudly, "Trying to commit suicide, or something?" He gripped her wrist hard enough to make her drop the blade by the side of the cauldron. It clattered to the floor and he immediately stooped over to pick it up, closing the blade in the process.

"Give me a break, Remus." she snorted, "Committing suicide in front of someone completely defeats the point. You have to do it when no one's around. That way no one is there to help you when the blood starts flowing out." Remus looked at the girl in shock.

"Please tell me you're joking." he said flatly.

"If you really must know, Remus," she said vehemently, "I'm not trying to commit suicide, I'm trying to save YOU from completely losing your mind the next time a full moon comes out."she yelled, motioning towards the translated text to her right. Remus looked taken back immediately. _'The potion,'_ he thought quickly, looking at the cloudy mixture in the cauldron,_ 'I completely forgot about that.'_ He pulled the knife out of his pocket and gave it back to her.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about that." he said quietly. Sable only nodded, taking the proffered blade.

"What exactly did you want, by the way." she asked.

"Well," he said, running a nervous hand through his already rumpled hair, " I'm pretty sure you're wondering why no one wants you anywheres within a hundred meter radius of any of the Slytherins."

"Yeah, it would be nice to know why I can't carry on a decent conversation with anyone who isn't decked out in scarlet and gold robes." she said pointedly.

"Sable," he said, desperately trying to keep his voice calm and even, and his temper in check, " I would really appreciate it if you would loose the attitude for a whole five minutes. After that, you can do whatever you want. But you need to know what's going on here. Hogwarts isn't the same as it was when you left two years ago." Sable glared at him, but did change her mood. She realized that she had probably been over reacting this evening, but she wasn't about to admit it.

"Fine, I'm sorry." she acquitted.

"Okay, this is what's going on." Remus began. " Last year there was a seventh year girl in Hufflepuff who ran into one of the Slytherins after a Quidditch game that had lasted all night. She was on her way back up to the castle when the Slytherin guy, Patrick Wilson, rushed her. He knocked her unconscious and done some stuff to her that is not very appropriate for anyone to have to endure, especially a young lady." Sable's eyes got really wide and she almost started crying when she heard this. Remus went on as though nothing had happened. "When she woke up, Wilson had threatened to hurt her again if she told anyone. From then on, she never said anything. When Wilson got ... tired... of her, he tried his luck again, this time on one of the Gryffindor girls. You remember Anna Collins, don't you?"

"Yeah, she's the girl that always helped me with my homework in fourth year while you guys were at practice and Lily was watching you." she said.

"That's the one. Well, Wilson decided to make her his next victim. He cornered her in a classroom and hurt her pretty badly. He threatened her too, but she didn't keep quiet. The next day, she went straight to Dumbledore. He was not a happy headmaster to say the least. By the time it was over with, the entire school knew what had happened. The Hufflepuff came forward and testified against him, as well as Anna. Wilson was expelled, and the two girls finished their terms here. By that time, the damage to Slytherin's already shaky reputation had been damaged beyond repair. All of the guys in the other Houses started watching over the girls in their Houses, keeping them away from any and all Slytherins. They didn't even let any of the girls out of their sights. If you haven't already noticed, we tend to keep tabs on all of the girls in our House, even the younger ones."

"But that's only Lily, and now me." she said. "There were no other girls sorted into Gryffindor our first year."

"Exactly, that's why we are so concerned. You and Lily are so important to us, that if anything happened to either of you, the rest of us would probably curse everyone and anyone in this school until we found out who had hurt you." Remus looked up into the sad eyes of Sabriel Robbins. She seemed stunned by the new revelation. No one had told her about any of it in the letters they had exchanged, apparently.

"Is that why you guys got so upset when you saw me with Snape. Because you were afraid he would try to hurt me?" she asked, full of wonder. Remus nodded and frowned. "Well, was Snape implicated into any of the charges against Wilson?"

"No, but he was suspected since Wilson had forced both girls to swallow a potion that would keep them from becoming conceiving a child if things got a little ... out of hand."

"So everyone automatically assumed that Snape had brewed the potion and given it to Wilson." she asked. Once again Remus nodded.

"But Snape was acquitted of all charges when he took a truth potion, Vertiserum, and admitted that he hadn't made any contraceptive potions." Sable seemed to consider this information before she said anything else. Remus could see the emotions running through her like wildfire. It was almost scary the way she seemed to be so calm, but the shivers that ran through her were almost visible. "Now do you understand why James, Sirius, Peter, and I do everything in out power to keep the Slytherins away from you?" Sable nodded and looked over to the boy.

"I'm sorry, Remus." she choked, "If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything to any of them. I'm so sorry. I thought you guys were trying to control me, I had no idea that it was protection." She felt a single tear roll down her face and land on her hands. The shock of someone getting attacked at Hogwarts, and by a fellow student at that, was almost preposterous. She thought about how the violated girls must have felt. It was disgusting to even think about.

"Hey, it's alright." he said, "You didn't know. And none of us had enough sense to tell you any different." He gave her a friendly hug and grinned, trying desperately to lighten the dreary mood that had settled in the room. "Besides, we know better than to try to control you, or Lily for that matter. You both know enough curses, hexes, jinxes, and deadly potions that we would be running away, screaming for out lives. You'd never see us again after that!" Sable grinned and wiped the moisture from her eyes. She really felt bad for giving the guys such a hard time earlier, and she felt the need to apologize to James and Sirius.

"Remus, where's everyone else at. I think I owe two of our friends an apology for this evening." She said.

"Well, when I left, everyone was sitting in the Common Room." he replied.

"Fine, let me finish this potion and I'm going back up there to apologize to Sirius and James. And then I'm going to chew them out for not having enough sense to tell me what was going on around here!" she fumed.

"What do you have left to put in the Wolfsbane Potion?" he asked, eyeing the boiling cauldron in front of him.

"Just my blood, that's all." she said nonchalantly. Remus winced at the thought of having to drink another person's blood. _'I'm not a bloody vampire, for heaven's sake!'_ he thought.

"What exactly is this potion made out of?" he asked, stirring the murky liquid. Sable smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Trust me, if I told you then you would never be able to keep a straight face when you tried to drink it." she said honestly.

"That bad, huh?" He asked skeptically. Sable only nodded and flicked open the blade of the knife once again. She pushed the sleeve back from her arm and made a small cut in her forearm. Her blood began to pool around the small cut and she quickly turned her forearm over the cauldron, causing a few drops to fall into the boiling mixture. The cloudy, murky liquid went to a translucent blue color, and then it went crystal clear. Sable sighed and put the knife down, quickly healing the little cut without leaving a scar on her creamy skin. She threw the knife into her pocket and turned around to face Remus with somewhat of a smile.

"Now all it has to do is sit for another couple weeks, and it'll be done." she said happily. Remus grinned and shook his head. _'How does she go from depressed and sad to happy and smiling in 1.9 seconds flat?'_ he thought wryly. "Now, let's get to the common room, I think I have some major explaining to do, once again." she sighed. "Have you noticed that I've been doing nothing but explaining stuff to you guys since I've come back. It's starting to become rather boring, if you ask me."

Remus laughed and led her through the door into her bedroom. It was soon going to be after curfew, and he didn't want to get caught out of the dorms without James' invisibility cloak handy. Sable put the knife on her dresser and went with him to the portrait.

"Okay, now, I haven't even been through these corridors yet." she reminded him. "So take it slow, will you?" Remus grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to get lost, now would we?" he joked.

"No you wouldn't." she said firmly, "especially considering you told me one of these passages lead straight into the Slytherin Common Room." Remus suddenly sobered up and took her hand.

"Come on, it's not far." he said. "Just make sure you hang onto me. There is a set of steps going up into the tower that gets steep at certain places."

"Lead the way, fearless captain." she muttered. He pulled her into the corridor and they were completely surrounded by the black ickyness of the dungeons. _'I have a feeling this is going to be a very long trip to Gryffindor Tower.'_ she thought.

* * *

_**A/N** - So, how'd it go? I hope you like it. This is one of my favorite chapters, and I think you can see why. All heck is about to break loose. Hehehehe. I'm evil, or so I've been told. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and remember to leave me a review telling me what you thought._


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was

* * *

Wolf's Bane

Chapter 13

Death Eater Meeting

* * *

Severus Snape stepped up into the group of black cloaked individuals, completing the loose circle around the seated, red eyed man. He pulled his hood from about his face and glanced around at the other men. After making sure that everyone needed was indeed present, he stepped from the circle and knelt in front of a man with eerie red eyes.

"You have called for us, my Lord. We answer your summons." he said respectfully. "What do you require us to do?" The center figure moved over to the kneeling boy and tapped him on the shoulders. His red eyes were full of evil hatred and contempt. They narrowed down until only two serpentine slits were visible.

"You may rise, Severus," he said venomously, "and return to the circle." Snape stood and went to the open space left for him.

"Remove your masks and hoods, my children." the figure said. The fourteen men present removed the white masks from their faces and pulled the hoods off of their heads. He scanned the circle of followers and nodded in approval. "I see you have all attended the meeting, good." he barked, "I want an update on the girl!"

"If I may, Lord Voldemort," came a deep voice. "I have some information you may find useful." Voldemort turned to face a boy of stocky build and dark hair.

"Proceed then, Flint."

"The girl has become involved with Remus Lupin, the werewolf." he said loudly.

"Does she know what he is?" Voldemort questioned.

"I am not sure yet, my Lord. But, she is working on a potion to help people who suffer from lycanthropy." Snape volunteered.

"How do you know this, Severus? Has she told you as much?" the figure glared.

"Our Potion's teacher, Professor Treble assigned us to design a potion. She choose to try to make a potion that counter acted the effects of lycanthropy."

"Has she succeeded in completing the potion, Severus?"

"As of right now, no. But I do not doubt that she will be able to find something useful before the end of the term."

"I do not believe that this is a coincidence." Voldemort said.

"Neither do I, my Lord." Snape muttered. This time, another older boy addressed the group.

"If she is involved with any of the Marauders, we will have a hard time trying to get to her. They keep such a close watch on their own that it's like they're attached at the hip."

"Bletchley has a point, my Lord." said a blonde boy. "I've had a fair share of run-ins with Black, Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Evans. They may be stupid, but they are in fact fiercely loyal to each other. It's almost sickening."

"What's her most vulnerable area?" Voldemort asked.

"Her parents, friends, anyone she cares deeply about." Flint answered.

"Ah, typical human emotions." Voldemort sneered, "They can get you into such trouble."

"She'll give her life to protect them. I mean, she's with Lupin, and he's a werewolf!"

"Very well," Voldemort said, "I want all of you to continue on as you have been. Lucius, Severus and Cody, I want to see you three. Everyone else is dismissed." The remaining eleven men bowed and disapparated away instantly. Voldemort turned to stare at the three youths.

"I have special instructions for you three." he said. "Since Ms. Robbins seems to be a true Gryffindor to the core, it's going to be harder to change her perspective to align with ours. Flint, you said her parents are her weakest spot." The dark headed boy nodded in affirmation. "What do they do?"

"They are Aurors, my Lord, currently stationed in Bulgaria." Snape answered.

"Very good." he hissed. He turned to the tall blonde and nodded. "Master Malfoy, I want you to get Mr. and Mrs. Robbins back here. As soon as possible. I don't care how, just bring them to me alive and in one piece." The boy nodded in acceptance of his mission. "Lucius, I want her parents in front of me in one month. Any later and you'll have Cruiactius on your head. Am I clear?" The blonde youth shuddered and nodded respectively.

"Yes, my Lord. They will be here within the next month."

"Very well, Malfoy. You are dismissed." Lucius Malfoy bowed and Disapparated.

"As for you two." he continued. "I want you to monitor her every movement.. I want you to watch her so closely that you can tell me how many times she blinked in any given hour. Anything unusual should be reported directly to me. I am sure that I can trust you to be discreet about this. Also, do whatever it takes to break her friendship with the Marauders to shreds. I don't want an ounce of self-confidence left in her by the Christmas break. Is that clear? She will need to be totally and completely reliant on someone else." The two boys nodded, accepting the mission and realizing how important it was. "You are dismissed."

The two bowed and pulled their hoods over their faces, shielding them from sight. They quickly disapparated and arrived in the small village outside the castle almost instantly. They pulled two brooms out of a nearby alley and flew up to Hogwarts. Neither said a word as they snuck back into the castle dungeons. Each one was rolling the new instructions over and over in his head. When they separated to their respective dorms, one was feeling rather pleased. But the other was suddenly filled with a sense of dread over the set of instructions that he had just been presented with.

* * *

A/N - Okay. How was that one? Anyone guess who doesn't want to follow through with the orders? Go ahead, take a guess. I want you to. Anyway, please don't forget to leave me a review. I thrive off of the things. (Some one told me they were addictive, and I didnt' believe them. Now I do.) Later peeps.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Disclaimer_** - _It's not mine. It never was. I only own Sable, and other characters that have not yet made an appearance in the Harry Potter world. _

* * *

_Wolf's Bane_

_Chapter 14_

_Sunday_

* * *

Heavy rains and cracking thunder was the only sound heard by the Hogwarts students and faculty Sunday morning. One particular Slytherin student made his way out in the House Common Room before any of his dorm mates woke up. He was sitting on one of the leather couches that were spread throughout the room and thinking about the orders his master had given him the night before.

' How can I allow her to get hurt?' He thought. _'She's never really done anything to me, or anyone else for that matter. I know that the life I have chosen as Voldemort's follower isn't what I want it to be. Could I live with what is left of my conscious if she were subjected to the same torture that I've been through.'_

He thought. 

He opened up an old copy of the newspaper and glanced around. The headlines were focusing on an attack that had happened a few days before. A Muggle-born witch had been killed by the killing curse Avada Kedavra. There were no suspects to report as it seemed that the girl had no enemies. The death was still under investigation by the Ministry. The young Slytherin snorted in disapproval.

'That's the media for you.' he thought, _'They can't even get their facts straight. She wasn't killed by Avada Kedavra. She was under the Imperio curse. I should know, I was there. The others made her believe that there was a virus in her system that was going to kill her if she didn't get rid of it. I should know, I was standing there when they said it. She killed herself withself-inflicted charms thatwere supposed to get rid of the so-called virus the rest of them made up. It_ _was just too much for her body to handle.'_

he thought, 

"Who'd have ever thought that I would wind up becoming a Death Eater for the most evil person who ever walked the Earth?" he asked no one in particular.

"Perhaps someone who realized that they were in the same position as me." came another voice from the boys dormitories. The first boy looked up and shook his head as his partner in crime entered into the room. _'This has got to end at some point.'_ he thought as he watched his fellow Slytherin enter into the Common Room.

"It's time to get started." the second boy said with a grin.

"I know." he answered slowly. "Let's get started. The sooner we get this over with the better."

* * *

_Meanwhile, in other parts of the castle..._

Sable was writing in her journal for Potions class, updating her notes when a small owl entered into her room. She took the note from the sopping wet animal and put it on the table nearby. She turned her attention to the carrier owl.

"Well, you are just sopping wet, my friend." she chuckled, grabbing a small hand towel off of a nearby shelf. "Let's see if we can't get you dried out before I send you back." The little owl hooted in agreement and waited patiently as Sable tried out its feathers. She gave the little owl a few owl treats and some fresh water before it took off again out of the window. Taking the note in her hand, she slit the seal and took out a piece of paper. She recognized her mother's handwriting instantly.

Sable,

Dear, I hope you are alright. Your father and I are in an undisclosed location at the moment, so I can't say much. We are fine and safe. I can't say more because the owl might be intercepted. But we do love you, honey. If there is an emergency of some sort, use Aphrodite to send us a letter. She knows where we are. I have to go now, but we just wanted to say that we love you. Love, Mom and Dad

"Well, at least they are okay." she muttered, stuffing the paper back into it's covering.

She put the letter in her desk drawer and shut it. It was not quite six in the morning yet, and she highly doubted if any of her friends were up. She went back into her lab and looked over at the potion she had made for Remus. _'Merlin, I hope this works.'_ she thought. _'I don't want him to get hurt with this potion.'_ She used a ladle to stir the liquid again. It was as clear as glass. She took the Celtic book from its spot on the table next to the cauldron and flipped it open. She was almost done translating it all. About a hundred more pages and she would be done. _'Well, I might as well find something to do since I can't seem to sleep.'_ she thought wryly.

She grabbed the book and settled down into a comfortable chair, content to finish translating some of the book. She tried to concentrate, but it wasn't really working. She hadn't slept too well that night. She had apologized to Sirius and James as she had told Remus she would do. They accepted her apology and soon everything was back to normal. The rest of the evening was spent in the Gryffindor Common Room playing Wizard's Chess and working on some homework. She and Lily had began their project for Treble's class that would be taken up at the end of the year. Remus found that she was using the Wolfsbane potion as her project and asked her as to whether it was a good idea or not. Since no one but the teachers were supposed to know about the two Gryffindor's lycanthropy, she thought it would be fine. Sable reasoned that since Treble already knew what she was, it was harmless. No one else would consider it suspicious, at least she hoped they would not. She started working on the book and was soon engrossed in her work.

* * *

_A Few Hours Later..._

Sable was sitting on her bed, still working on translating the text in front of her when she heard a knock at the portrait across from her bed. She covered the book and went over to the portrait, pulling it open. Remus was standing there with a grin on his face.

"Morning, Remus." she said happily. "What do I to the pleasure of your visit this bright and sunny Sunday morning?" About that time, another loud crack of thunder split open the sky.

"Well, I wanted to know if you wanted to go into Hogsmeade with some of us today." he said. Sable nodded and stepped back as he stepped down from the portrait hole.

"But it's not a Hogsmeade weekend." she stated.

"So?" he said. Sable smirked and nodded her head.

"Sure, when are we leaving?" she asked. "It would be nice to have a warm butterbeer right now anyway."

"Be in the Gryffindor Common Room in an hour. The rest of us will be there too."

"Who else is going?" she asked. "Besides us, I mean."

"Sirius, James, and Lily." he answered.

"What about Peter?"

"He's got an all day detention with Professor Tuft today. Treble busted him when he tried to throw some extra ingredients into one of the Slytherin's cauldrons."

"Hasn't he learned the fine art of subtlety yet?" she asked, her eyes scrunched up at the thought of having a detention on a Sunday.

"Apparently not." Sable grinned and turned back to her book.

"I'll be down in a bit. I've just got to finish up some work." she said.

"What is that?" Remus asked, pointing to the book.

"This, my friend," she said dramatically, "Is the one thing that will help keep you from biting my head off during the next full moon."

"What?"

"The formula for the Wolfsbane Potion, ding bat."

"Oh, right." There was an uneasy silence that filled the air. Sable shut the book and looked over to Remus.

"Give me twenty minutes and I'll be there." she said. Remus nodded and turned to leave out of the portrait hole once again. He climbed in and pulled the door shut behind him. Sable threw her books back into her desk and rummaged through her closet looking for something to wear. After five minutes of searching, she found her favorite pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. She slipped her favorite black cloak over her clothes and left out of her room through the portrait hole.

Half an hour later, the small rag tag group of teenagers were slipping out of Hogwart's by way of the secret tunnel that led into Honeyduke's. They went through the tunnel quickly and found themselves in the cellar of Honeyduke's. James and Sirius pulled Lily and Sable up through the passageway and Remus was the last one, closing the door behind him. When they found their way out of the cellar, they immediately broke off into two groups. Sirius, James, and Remus went one way while Lily and Sable went the other. They decided to meet up in the Three Broomsticks in two hours to get lunch and something to eat. The weather had cleared a little, but it was stillovercast and cloudy.

"What was the need for an unscheduled Hogsmeade visit?" Sable asked as she and Lily went towards the opposite side of town. Lily shrugged and shook her head.

"To be honest with you, I have no idea." she said truthfully. "All I know is that James woke me up this morning and asked if I wanted to go to Hogsmeade for the day. Since the Prefects are handling all of the duties today, I agreed. It's not like I haven't got anything else to do." Sable shrugged and walked down the street with a bowed head.

"So, where do you want to go?" Sable asked. "Anyplace in particular?"

"I was going to pick up some stuff from Honeyduke's after awhile. Other than that, I'm fresh out of ideas. How about you?" Sable grinned and nodded her head.

"How about we go shopping for some clothes?" she suggested. "Mine are getting kind of worn and I need some new ones."

"Sounds like an idea to me. I really don't need anymore clothing; I don't wear what I have. Let's go." Lily said. The two girls made their way to the closest store and began to shop like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

"What exactly are we doing in Hogsmeade anyway, James?" Remus asked as they pushed through the crowds of people in Zonko's Joke Shop on the other side of town

"I need to stock up on a few things." James said, grinning evilly.

"That's it?" Sirius asked. "You woke me up at seven in the morning to bring me to Hogsmeade to by pranking supplies?" James only nodded and grinned even more.

"You didn't need anymore beauty sleep, Sirius." James teased. "It isn't doing you any good." Sirius snickered and shook his head.

"And I suppose you don't need any yourself, Prongs?" he said.

"Nope, I'm fine just like I am. Ask Lily if you don't believe me." he said smugly. Remus rolled his eyes and started searching the shelf in front of him for _Bathilda's Color Changing Skin Creme. _Once you put it on someone, their skin changed colors for about an hour before it wore off. After using it to pull a prank on Lily a few years back, it had become a favorite of his.

"You guys are impossible." he stated firmly. Sirius looked shocked and put his hand over his heart, feigning insultment.

"Why, Moony, you wound me to the heart." he said dramatically. "I never figured you as one to take Prongs' side. That's just not fair. I'm outnumbered."

"Sorry, mate." Remus answered. "The truth hurts."

"So, who are you taking to the Halloween Ball, Padfoot?" James asked, taking a box of _Ever Popping Chewing Gum_ from the shelf. Sirius frowned and shrugged.

"Don't know yet, actually. I've had some offers from a few girls, but I don't want to go with any of them."

"Who do you want to go with?" Remus asked.

"Don't know." Sirius said.

"You mean two days have passed, and you haven't got a date lined up?" James teased, "Padfoot, you're slipping."

"Yeah, it's due to lack of sleep. No thanks to a certain friend of mine whose name I won't say at this moment." Sirius said sarcastically.

"Who's Pete going with?" James asked. The two other boys shrugged, not knowing who their friend was taking.

"I think he is talking to some Hufflepuff sixth year, Amanda Keiss." Remus said. "Maybe it's her."

"I hope so." Sirius said. "I hate it when Pete goes to the dances by himself. It's just depressing." He picked up a box of _Filibuster's Wet Start Fireworks_ and threw them in the ever increasing pile. "Who you going with, Moony?" Remus turned pink and pretended he hadn't heard him.

"Yeah, Remus," James asked. "Who are you going with?"

"Sable." he said finally. Sirius looked like he was going to implode in shock. James just nodded and continued shopping around.

"You finally asked her!" Sirius shrieked. "When? Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Remus shook his head as a few people nearby turned to look at the very loud outburst.

"Calm down, Pads," James said. "He just asked her to the ball. It's not like the world is going to collide with something and end all life on Earth." Sirius snickered and looked over at Remus.

"You probably asked her when you snuck into her room the other night. Right, Moony?" he asked. James turned his head and looked over at his friend.

"You did what?" James asked. "Sirius, did I just hear you right?" James laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah, Moony snuck down into Sable's room Friday night. I heard him come in about two or three yesterday morning. Said he was giving her back a book."

"I was." Remus said defensively. James just raised an eyebrow in speculation and continued to look around.

"Seems like Pads is the only one who doesn't have a date." he said. "What a shame." Sirius growled and turned around. Remus smiled and brought his stuff up to the counter to pay for.

"Why don't you ask Arabella, Sirius." James suggested. "I'm sure she'll go with you." Sirius seemed to blush slightly at the suggestion. "You guys are pretty good friends. And she'll be fun to be around, unlike some of those ditzy girls you usually keep around."

"Hey, they weren't all ditzs." Sirius said. "Danae was a good one." James seemed to agree, with that.

"Why did you let her go, Sirius? I liked her, even though she was in Slytherin." James asked. Sirius flushed and looked away, muttering something under his breath. "What was that, Padfoot?"

"I said, she caught me with Michelle Jones a few weeks after we got together." he muttered. James shook his head in defeat.

"Moron!" James said. "You lost Danae for that blonde-headed bimbo in Hufflepuff? What were you thinking?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." he said quietly. James rolled his eyes and took his stuff up to the counter.

"Don't all your ideas start out like that?" he muttered.

* * *

As Sable stepped out of_ Millenium, _she noticed that there were a few more people around than there where when she and Lily entered. She shuffled the two bags of clothes around, trying to get a better grip when Lily walked out of the door.

"Did you get enough clothes?" Lily asked.

"I think so." she answered. "How about you?" Lily smiled and shifted three bags of her own as she came out.

"I got enough." she said. Sable smiled and glanced down.

"I thought you said you didn't need any more clothes?" she questioned. Lily grinned and blushed.

"Well, I can always use more." she said sheepishly. "A girl can never have to many clothes." Sable grinned and headed to another store. "We've still got forty-five minutes to kill, Lily. Maybe we can go find some spiky earrings to go with those thigh high black leather boots you bought. What are you going to wear those with anyways?" Lily grinned and walked down the lane.

"I'm just going to borrow that black leather mini skirt you bought and put it with my own leather jacket." she grinned.

"Uhhh, Lily, you do realize that I am about three inches shorter than you." Sable pointed out. Lily grinned and nodded.

"Well, that'll make the skirt a few inches shorter then, won't it?" Sable shook her head and followed Lily into an accessories store that looked promising. _'I think the red-head has a fetish for black leather.'_ she thought wryly.

* * *

James, Sirius, and Remus walked into the Three Broomsticks and grabbed a table closer to the back that would sit the three of them and the two girls. They sat down and ordered some drinks, waiting for the girls to show.

"Where did they say they were going, James?" Sirius asked. James shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know, really." he answered. "They probably went to the costume shop to check on costumes for the Halloween Ball. That shouldn't take too long, or result in any major surprises." Remus shook his head, remembering something Sable had told him earlier about shopping for some new clothes.

"Sable told me that she might go shopping for some new clothes. I think a new store opened on the other end of town. That's probably where they're at." he said. James rolled his eyes in frustration.

"If a new store opened, they are going to be at least forty-five minutes late." he stated. Sirius looked amused and laughed.

"How do you know they'll be that late?" he asked.

"Because Lily will realize when they are ten minutes late. Then, assuming that Sable shops like Lily, it'll take another twenty minutes to get her out of the dressing room and to the counter to pay for the clothes. Then, depending on how much they bought, they have to lug all of the bags halfway across town which will take at least ten minutes, even with a town as small as this. Then they should be in the door and over here in five minutes or so after that."

"Sounds like you've been shopping with Ms. Evans before." Remus grinned. James only nodded and took another drink of his butterbeer.

"If you only knew." he stated simply, "Oh, and don't ask her to go Christmas shopping with you. She can clean out any bank account in Gringott's... even mine! And I didn't even think that was possible!" The boys looked at each other and nodded.

"Girls." they stated simply.

* * *

Lily and Sable exited the accessories store and a few older wizards nearly dropped dead in their tracks. Lily had decided to show off one of their many new, matching outfits they had bought at the new store. Leather was not going out of style anytime soon. Lily was in the black leather mini skirt and black boots, as she had promised. She had bought a black leather jacket to go with the outfit and it all worked rather well, even though the skirt was indeed about three inches too short. The jacket was a little low cut and revealed the beginning of her cleavage. Sable was wearing a black leather dress with small metal studs around the hem. The dress was spaghetti strap and, like Lily's jacket, a little low cut. Her shoes were a pair of black boots that went up to her calves. Both of the girl's hair was hanging around them, Lily's red and Sable's black. Their make-up had been touched up and they looked pretty good. As they exited the shop, Sable glanced down at the outfit and frowned.

"I can't believe you talked me into buying this, Lils." she stated. "I feel like a hooker." Lily laughed and shook her head.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. No one is going to see you, besides the boys." she said. "And I have a feeling they won't be saying much when we walk in." Sable looked doubtful and set her bags down to pull her cloak out of her bag. Lily looked put off and grimaced. "You are NOT wearing that!" she said heatedly, "You'll cover up the outfit. Where's the fun in that?"

"Lily, I am not walking into the _Three Broomsticks _looking like some floozy off of the street." she stated simply. "We're already getting stared at as it is."

"Let'em look." Lily said. Sable frowned and pulled her cloak on. "At least leave the front of the cloak open." she said. Sable rolled her eyes.

"If I have to." she said. _'I wonder how many cows died to get these outfits?'_ she thought.

"You have to." Lily said with a finality that was not to be reckoned with. Sable fastened the cloak on the straps of her dress behind her shoulders, leaving the hood pushed back and the front of the outfit plainly visible. Lily took a cursory glance and nodded. She bent down and pulled out her own cloak.

"What are you doing?" Sable asked, shrinking her bags and putting them in her cloak pocket.

"That actually looks good with the cloak on." she stated.

"You know what the boys are going to be thinking when they see us, don't you?" Sable asked. Lily smirked and nodded. Sable only shook her head in disbelief.

"Of course I do." she stated simply. "Why do you think we're doing it?"

"Okay," Sable said grimly. "Who are you and what have you done to Lily Evans?" Lily only laughed and started grinning like a maniac.

After fastening her own cloak onto her shoulders, and shrinking her other bags, the girls made their way down the lane and to the Three Broomsticks. _'We look like two bloody Dominatrixes in these outfits.'_ she thought. _'Now all we need are the whips and we'll be set to go. I can't believe I let her talk me into this!'_ Sable thought. Every person on the street looked up as the red and ebony haired girls walked down the street. Sable felt like an animal on display, not used to having much attention. However, what was about to happen when they entered the Three Broomsticks would topple everything.

* * *

Sirius finished off his third butterbeer and looked up at the clock again and grimaced. James had been right, the girls were ten minutes late so far. James and Remus had left five minutes ago to walk across the street to pick up something for the Quidditch team. They would be back in a few minutes. He was going up to the bar to get another butterbeer when the door to the pub opened and two people stepped in. Sirius didn't pay much attention to them, but when one of them set a hand on his shoulder, he spun around in a hurry. The two girls were dressed in black leather from head to toe. He was momentarily speechless as he sized them up, not bothering to look anywhere in the vicinity of their faces. A slap to his head brought him back to reality.

"Sirius...Sirius...Sirius wake up in there." Lily said patiently. His eyes were still glazed over, so Sable decided to give it a try. She stood in front of the tall, blacked headed boy and pinched his ear, hard.

"Sirius Black," she admonished, "I know your mother taught you to answer a lady when she's talking to you." Sable pulled his ear and Sirius finally looked at the faces of the two leather clad ladies.

"Lil...Lils...Lily? Sa...Sabl..Sable...Is that you two under there?" he stuttered. The girls were standing in front of him, Sable frowning and Lily grinning.

"Who else would it be, McGonagall?" Sable asked, putting her hands on her hips. Sirius opened his mouth to say something, anything, when Lily smacked him on his head.

"Earth to Sirius. Come in, Sirius." she mocked. She turned to Sable and grinned. "I think his communications system is temporarily impaired."

"I think you're right." Sable agreed. The waiter came to the bar and caught their attention.

"What can I get for you ladies?" he asked, eyeing the two girls. Sable smiled sweetly and turned to the young boy.

"How about a couple butterbeers for me and my friend here." she asked.

"That all I can get for you, ladies." he asked cheekily. Sable smiled again and nodded.

"For now." she said quietly. The young wizard turned and took three drinks from a cooler and set them on the counter. "Thanks." Sable said.

"Any time." he answered. Sable handed Lily one of the drinks and took the other two herself. "I think we need to get Sirius to a chair before he faints." she said. Lily nodded and helped to guide Sirius to another booth. They sat down and Sirius seemed to reclaim some of his speech abilities. Lily and Sable were sitting opposite of him, sipping their drinks.

"What happened to you two?" he finally asked. Lily looked innocently at Sable who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing, Sirius." Sable said. "We just went shopping. What's wrong with that?" The door to the restaurant opened and shut, but the girls were to engrossed in teasing their friend to notice who it was.

"Just shopping?" he asked. "What the Hell is that thing you've got on?" Sable looked down at her dress and shrugged. A speechless Sirius was a rare sight, and she was playing it for all it was worth.

"A dress?" she said innocently. "Honestly, Sirius. I'd have given you enough credit to know a dress when you see it. Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Lily put her hand on his forehead and pretended to feel for a high temperature.

"He hasn't got a temperature." she stated. "Where are James and Remus. I think we need to get you back to school, Sirius. You look a little pale." Lily pulled her hand away and drank some of her butterbeer.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." Sirius stated. "It's you two I'm worried about. James and Remus are going to flip their tops when they see you two!" Lily glanced over the club, searching for her boyfriend. She spotted him and Remus standing by the bar, talking with the waiter. The waiter pointed to the table they were sitting at and James' and Remus' eyes went as wide as saucers. Lily smiled and waved at her boyfriend. She nudged Sable in the ribs and jerked her head towards the two. They were standing there, looking like fish out of water. Their mouths were moving, but no words were coming out. Remus finally composed himself and grabbed James by the wrist, pulling him towards the table.

"Well, then I think you better get something to keep them calm because here they come." Sable said. Sirius looked up to see his two friends storming over to the table. _'This is about to get really ugly.'_ he thought. James and Remus came up to the table and Lily and Sable stood up to face them.

"Hey boys," Lily said happily, "Where you been?"

James stared at his girlfriend and openly gaped at her outfit. Remus was not in much better shape. It seemed that the girl's outfits were beyond words. Lily gave him a smile and said something, but James didn't comprehend it. He was still staring at the clothes and wondering how many cows it took to make that outfit. _'Not many by the fit of those clothes.'_ he thought. Both of the girl's outfits were considerably tighter than the normal school uniform, and it showed. Lily waved a hand in front of James' face and it brought him back to reality.

"James...James.. Are you okay?" she asked. He shook his head and nodded.

"Yeah... I'm.. fine Lily." he said. "I'm fine." Remus was still gaping at the outfit Sable had on. For some strange reason, he felt like covering her up with the cloak she was wearing.

"Remus...Hey...Earth to Remus." Sable said. "You okay in there?" She waved her hand in front of his face and he snapped out of the trance. He looked closely at her and felt his face turn red as his eyes settled on the exposed part of her anatomy. Sable grinned and put a finger under his chin to lift his head up to face her. "Remus, dear," she said slowly, "My face is up here." Remus seemed completely horrified and sat down next to Sirius with a plop. _'When did she start looking like THAT?' _he thought. Lily had already sat down and James had cornered her inside the booth. Sable frowned and sat on the other side of James, opposite of Remus and Sirius.

"Well, boys," Lily said. "What'd you buy?" No one seemed to want to answer her, so she tapped James on the shoulder. He jumped up and stared.

"What was that, Lily?" he asked.

"I asked what did you buy?" she repeated. James pulled a small packet out of his pocket and showed everyone.

"I bought a new snitch for the practice set." he said. "The other one is so old, it's starting to slow down. Even the reserve Seeker caught it in less than two minutes at the last practice."

"Who's Gryffindor's first game against this year?" Sable asked.

"Slytherin." Sirius said, "Two weeks from Saturday." Sable looked alarmed.

"James, is the team going to be ready by then?" she asked. "Not that I'm questioning you abilities as captain, but you have two new players in crucial positions. Are they going to be ready?" James shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure." he answered. "They should be fine if they don't get nervous." The waiter came over to the table and handed out some menus. He grinned at Sable and she blushed violently. Remus felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as his anger soared.

"What can I get for you guys?" he asked, still eyeing Sable. Remus glared at the boy.

"Another round of butterbeers, please." Sable said sweetly. The waiter smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing, pretty lady." he said. With a flick of his wand, the empty bottles were replaced with full ones. "Anything else for you guys?" He winked at Sable and Remus had to restrain himself from flying out of his seat to punch the guy in his face. Sirius noted the rising anger and put a hand on his friends arm to keep him in place.

"That's it for now, I think." Lily said, sensing the tension. "Thank you." The waiter smiled and walked back to the bar, but not before giving Sable one radiant grin. Since James had put his arm around Lily, the guy had obviously given up on her, but not Sable. She blushed and looked down at her drink, hoping her face wasn't turning too red from embarrassment.

The conversation slowly turned to Quidditch, but Remus was unusually quiet. Sable glanced over and met his angry gaze.

"Remus. Hey, you okay over there? You're awful quiet." she said. Remus looked up and furrowed his brow in agitation.

"I'm fine." he said grumpily.

"You sure?" she asked, wondering what had him feeling so grumpy.

"Yes, I'm fine." he said. _'I can't believe she's asking me what's wrong. She has no right to be gallivanting around Hogsmeade in that outfit! She looks like something that...She looks like...She just doesn't look like herself, dammit!'_ He noticed her withdrawn expression and immediately regretted his gruff reply. _'And now she thinks I'm mad at her. Man, Remus, how many times can you screw up in one day?'_ Sable had finished off her drink and was getting up from the booth.

"Where you going, Sable?" James asked.

"To the bathroom." she said. "I'll be right back." She stood up and walked past the bar and into the bathroom. Once again, she caught the eye of the waiter, and he followed her retreating form until she went into the restroom. Remus saw this and his blood pressure shot through the roof. He slid out of his seat and stood up, intending on going outside to cool off.

"Where you going, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"I'm going outside for a minute to get some fresh air." he said gruffly. He walked out of the restaurant and into the hustle of the streets. As soon as the door shut, James and Sirius turned on Lily.

* * *

"What the bloody hell is going on, Lily?" James asked. "What do you think you're doing, walking around in that get-up?"

"I'm sorry James," she said with sacchirine sweetness. "I had the impression that you liked it."

"I do, but that's beside the point. How'd you get that dress on Sable. I didn't even think she owned something like that."

"Well, she owns it now." Lily stated simply. "We bought it at the new store, _Millenium._" Sirius shook his head and nearly growled.

" Do you realize that Moony is about to go crazy, seeing her in that?" He said fiercely.

"Then maybe he's just now realizing what we all figured out in fourth year." Lily said gruffly.

"He likes her, and if the only way to make him admit that is have her dress up every now and then, then so be it."

"If she comes back in here and Remus sees that waiter eye her up again, you're going to have to bury one of them." Sirius said. "Cause he's about at his nerves' end."

"This is torture for that boy, Lily." James said. "How could you do it?"

"He's got to do something about it, James." Lily said. "Sable likes him just as much as he does her, she admitted that to me already."

"So you're trying to make him jealous enough to ask her out?" James asked. "That's cruel Lily."

"Yeah, well, it worked on you, didn't it?" she retorted. "The minute you heard I was with that boy from Ravenclaw, you finally asked me out. This is just a little incentive for Remus to act faster." James stared at her in disbelief.

"I didn't believe you had it in you, Lils." Sirius laughed. "Using a dirty trick like that. I taught you well." He laughed and banged his fist on the table.

"You haven't taught me anything that the entire female population doesn't already know, Mr. Black." Lily stated.

Sable was in the restroom, changing out of the leather dress and back into her blue jeans and t-shirt. She was too embarrassed and upset to stay with her friends. The look of revulsion of Remus' face was almost enough to send her into tears. What she didn't realize was that it wasn't revulsion she had seen, it was attraction. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and pulled her sneakers on. Gathering up the clothes, she stuffed them into a bag and shrunk the bag back, putting it in the pocket of her cloak. She swung the cloak around her shoulders and fastened it at her throat. _'I've got to get out of here before I embarrass myself even more. At the rate I'm going, I'm not going to be able to face any of them for a few days.'_

She went out of the bathroom and pulled out some money from her pocket. The waiter came back to her and grinned.

"Decided to change the outfit, huh?" he asked, obviously disappointed. Sable suddenly felt a wave of revulsion at the look he was giving her. She put the money on the bar and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm afraid leather isn't my thing." she said. "This is for the group over there." She pointed to the table and noticed that Remus was missing. The waiter nodded and took the money.

"Well, anytime you decide to dress back up. Come see me." he said smoothly. Sable forced a smile and pulled away.

"I'll think about that, and keep you in mind." she said. The waiter grinned at her and she turned around to leave. Lily saw her across the room and frowned. She did nothing but turn her back and push the door open. She walked out and started walking back towards Honeyduke's. _'The sooner I get back to the castle, the better.'_ she thought. She turned the corner and ran towards Honeyduke's at break neck speed. She could hear Lily's voice calling out to her, but she didn't stop. She kept on running until she got into the shop and down through the tunnel. Only when the damp darkness envelope her did she stop to take a breath.

Lily saw when Sable came out of the bathroom. She noticed that the black headed girl had put her hair up in a ponytail, but what really caught her off guard was the denim that poked out from underneath the cloak as she walked. When Sable looked over at her, she could barely make out the hurt expression on her face before she pushed James out of the way trying to get out of the booth. But by the time she got out of the restaurant, all she could see was Sable's retreating form back towards Honeyduke's. She called out to her friend, but Sable had not responded.

Remus had heard Lily call out to Sable as soon as she came out of _The Three Broomsticks_. Thinking something was wrong, he ran around the building and saw Lily trying to get to her. When she disappeared in the crowds, Remus went up to Lily and found out what had happened.

"She's going back to the castle, Remus." Lily said. "I think she got embarrassed and decided to leave. She looked really upset, but I don't know why. She changed out of her dress and left without telling anyone anything." Remus nodded and waited until James got out to her before he started along the path to Honeyduke's. When James couldn't see Remus form in the crowd anymore, he turned back to Lily and grimaced.

"I hate to say it, Lils," he said, "But you've done it this time." Sirius nodded in agreement, but Lily only shook her head.

"I've done it, alright." she conceded, "but not what you think."

* * *

Sable followed the winding path back towards Hogwarts as fast as she possible could. She didn't want to stop before she reached the entrance back into the castle, but she had to stop to catch her breath. She leaned up against the tunnel and took a few deep breaths to calm herself.'_I can't believe I just done that!'_ she thought. _'I'll never let Lily pick out any of my clothes after this. I've learned my lesson. Merlin, I can't believe I done that. I just embarrassed myself beyond what is normally possible. And it looked like Remus was royally pissed with me. Great. Just what I needed!_' She began walking back towards the castle when she heard someone's footsteps behind her. _'Oh, shit. I don't even want to know who that is.'_ she thought.

She gathered her cloak around her and ran as fast as she could. The end of the tunnel was about another seven hundred feet ahead of her, and she made it in record time. Before pushing the stature of the old witch aside, she listened for any noises in the corridor outside of the entrance. She couldn't hear anything, except for someone else's footsteps coming behind her. She quickly pushed the statue to one side and climbed out of the tunnel. The statue slid back into place and she began to walk quickly down the halls towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor, towards the entrance to her room.

Remus could see the light at the other end of the tunnel when Sable exited out of the tunnel. He slowed his run down and began walking towards the exit. _'She's going to go to her room.'_ he thought. _'Anytime something goes wrong, she goes to her room.'_ He came to the end of the tunnel and listened for any noises. Nothing. He pushed the statue and came out of the tunnel. He quickly set off towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway, meanwhile questioning the sanity of the female half of the population, particularly a fiery tempered red headed one named Lily Evans.

Sable said the password to the coat of armor and waited for it to move. When the entrance to her room was shown, she pulled the key out of her pocket and opened the door. Once inside, she put a few locking charms on the door so that no one could get in. She went through her lab and into her room. She threw her cloak off and jumped on her bed, pounding the mattress with her fists. _'I told Lily that it was a bad idea to put me in that outfit!"_ she thought. _'When am I going to learn, that girl is out to get me.'_ She continued this until she finally ran out of energy and fell into a fitful sleep on top of her bed.

* * *

Remus walked down the corridor towards the suit of armor and stopped in front of the sixth one. He said the password and watched as the suit of armor slid past. He pushed the drapery aside and was face to face with a locked door. He pulled out his wand and tried to open it, but to no avail.

"What the Hell has she put on this door?" he thought. He went through a few more of the unlocking spells, but the door remained locked. _'Obviously something I don't know.'_ he thought. Getting disgusted, he let the drapery fall and watched the suit of armor slide back into place. _'Well, if you can't get in one way, get in another.'_ he thought. He ran up to Gryffindor Tower and got into the Common Room without a problem. He tried to inconspicuously make his way to the portrait behind the staircase, but a number of his house mates stopped him for various reasons. He finally got past all of them and went to the portrait. He pulled it open and nearly broke his neck trying to get to the end of it.

When Remus got to the end of the tunnel, he slipped his hand between the wall and the frame. _'Well, she didn't think to lock this one, did she.'_ he thought. He slowly pushed the portrait forward, expecting a few curses to be flung at him. When nothing exploded within the vicinity of any major, irreplaceable, body parts, he stepped out of the tunnel. He glanced around and saw Sable lying on her bed, asleep. He smiled and walked over to her. There were tear stains down her cheeks and her frowned at the way her face was contorted into a picture of anger. He stayed like that for a while, but eventually decided to go back up to Gryffindor Tower and wait for the others to come back. _'They're probably already on their way back by now.'_ he though as he climbed up to Gryffindor Tower. _'Lily is going to get a piece of my mind for doing this.'_

_

* * *

_

**A/N -** Okay, how'd I do? Any good? I sure hope so. Remember to leave me a review. (Yeah, it's that little button down in the left hand side. See it? GOOD!) I'm kidding. Anyways, tell me what's going on with this fic. I want to know what you think, no matter what.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer - Not mine, never was.

  


Unanswered Questions

James, Sirius, Peter, Lily and Remus were sitting at the Gryffindor Table the next morning at breakfast when Sable walked in. She hadn't spoken to any of them since the incident at _The Three Broomsticks_ yesterday. Every time someone would go to check on her, she was asleep. Lily locked eyes with the girl and gave her a little grin. Sable just shook her head walked down to the far end of the table, not even recognizing the others. However, Remus caught the red flush of her face as she walked by. She was still royally embarrassed by yesterday.

Sable sat down at the end of the table, far away from everyone, even the first years. She put some food on her plate, but didn't eat it. She just pushed it around for a little while, thinking. _'I can't face them. I just can't.'_ she thought. 

Sirius looked down the table at the girl who they all knew well. She was pushing her food around the plate, not eating anything. The pensive look on her face was not lost to anyone. He looked across the table at Lily. She seemed throughly taken back. Even though she had tried to get Remus to say something about the outfit yesterday, she hadn't figured on everything backfiring the way it had. She had only been trying to help, not hurt. _'Well, I think Ms. Head Girl learned her lesson.'_ he thought. He noticed that Remus was also looking down the table towards their friend. He had a blank expression on his face. Sirius knew he was torn between going to apologize to her, and staying with the others. Each one had it's own consequences. If he went to Sable, the unspoken attraction that he fought against her would be known to everyone. Yet, if he stayed with the others, she would think that they were upset with her for walking out of the pub yesterday. What he didn't realize was that everyone in the school had already figured that the two were hiding their non-existent relationship. Everyone but Remus and Sable saw what was going on, but what everyone else didn't know was the circumstances around the two. Remus finally looked away from her, obviously confused. A few minutes later, Sable swept out of the Hall with an apple and a bagel in her hand. Sirius only shook his head when James glanced up at him. 

"I think she's mad at you, Lily." Peter said quietly. Lily shot him an icy glare and humphed in disagreement. James rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Tell me something I don't know, Peter." Lily shot back. She gathered up her books and threw them into her bag. "I've got to go apologize to her. That whole mess yesterday was my fault." She stood from the table and ran after Sable. James only grinned. She couldn't stand it when she and Sable fought, never could.

"James, what exactly did Lily do yesterday in Hogsmeade?" Peter asked quietly. 

"She took Sable shopping at some new store that specializes in black, leather outfits." he said quietly.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked innocently. "I figured you guys would enjoy the show." Sirius grinned and patted the smaller boy on the back.

"Nothing's wrong with it, Wormtail." he said. "But when they walked into _The Three Broomsticks_ with little to nothing on, James got a little . ........... uh.......... flustered." Peter's eyes were laughing. "Remus didn't look too happy either." 

"Oh, I see." Peter nodded. "Chris started hitting on the girls and you two got mad." James and Sirius nodded, but Remus was shaking his head.

"I didn't get mad. And who's Chris, anyway?" he asked. Peter chuckled and finished off his food.

"Chris is the name of the waiter at the pub." he explained. Remus nodded in understanding. Sirius looked smug and leaned his chair back on two legs.

"Yeah, really, Moony." he teased. "If you are going to beat the git to pulp for eyeing up your girl, you need to know his name first." Remus colored but turned away.

"She's not my girl, Pads." he said. "She's just a friend. Besides, I didn't like that guy." James nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, a friend that looks really, really, really, good in black leather." he said.

"Lay off of it, Prongs." he warned. The other boys only laughed at the obvious discomfort for Moony. 

"Moony," James said quietly, "why don't you just tell her and be over with it?" Remus stood up and gathered his books, turning to leave.

"Because it's not as easy as you think." he said quickly. He left the Hall and headed for his first class without saying anything else.

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Professor Treble's first class of the day was Seventh Year Advanced Potions. Sable entered into the classroom rather early since she had left the hall in such a rush. She was surprised to find the classroom already occupied by Severus Snape. As she entered, he nodded and continued on with his work. Sable didn't really feel like dealing with him either, so she took her seat and dug out her potion's journal. As she flipped it open and began to write to update the entries, Lily came into the class. She spotted Sable and walked over to the desk.

"Can we talk?" she asked. 

"About what?" Sable asked.

"Yesterday." Lily answered.

"Sure, I'm not stopping you. Go ahead." Sable said icily. Lily sat down and tried to keep her temper in check. Even though she and Sable were friends, that girl had a way of pushing her buttons.

"I'm really sorry about everything yesterday, Sable. I didn't think the guys would react like that to the outfit. I'm really sorry. I was only trying to help." Lily's voice was full of sincerity and concern. Sable looked up from her book and sighed. She knew that the girl was trying to help, but she was trying to hard.

"I understand what you and the others are trying to do, Lily." she said quietly. "But, he and I will work things out in our own way. We're both scared, Lily, that's all." Lily smiled and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Sable. Thank you so much." Sable smiled and picked up her quill. 

"Well, now that we got that settled," she said. "Let's get to work. The Professor should be here in a few minutes."

"Actually," came Snape's voice, "Professor Treble will be a few moments late today. He said there was some other business he needed to attend to before class." The girls nodded and continued on about their business. The other students were starting to filter into the classroom. About half an hour later, Professor Treble walked into the classroom. He seemed to be in a rotten mood, so the students continued doing their work. They were all working on their journals, trying to keep caught up with the work. Sable finished her work and took it to Professor Treble to check. 

"Professor Treble," she said, "I have my work caught up. Would you like to check it now or later?" The aged man looked up and nodded. He took Sable's journal and flipped it open to the last place he had checked. Sable left the teacher's desk and sat down at her own. There was not much time left until class was over with, so she pulled out her text and began reading into the next section. Five minutes before the bell was to ring, Sable was called up to Treble's desk to get her journal. When she took the journal back, the old man looked carefully at her.

"Ms. Robbins, I would like to have a word with you after class concerning your project for the year. If you don't mind that is."

"Of course, Professor." she said, confused.

"What class do you have next?" he asked.

"Charms, sir. With Professor Flitwick." she answered. Treble only nodded and turned back to his work. When Sable sat back down, Lily was packing up her things, waiting for the bell. 

"Lily, Professor Treble wants to speak with me about my class project." she whispered. "Tell Professor Flitwick I'll be a few minutes late." Lily gave her a surprised look and stopped packing.

"Is there something wrong?" Lily asked. Sable only shrugged her shoulders, not sure as to what was going on. The bell rang and Sable watched as the other students filed out of the classroom. She waited until they were all gone before walking up to the desk.

"There was something you wanted to see me about, Professor?" she asked. Treble looked up at the girl and nodded.

"Yes, Ms. Robbins." he said. "I see that you are doing your yearly project on a potion to counter the effects of lycanthropy on people who are infected. Is this true?" Sable looked surprised, but nodded.

"Yes, sir. It is." she said. "Is there some sort of problem with my topic choice?" 

"No, there is no problem. However, I must ask you a few questions concerning this experiment. For example, how do you plan on testing this potion once it is finished?" Sable blanched at the question, but suddenly realized that he had a point, she had no one to experiment on. No other students were supposed to know about Remus' lycanthropy. She couldn't use him as an excuse. She done some quick thinking and came up with a likely story.

"I will use myself as the experiment." she said simply. Treble looked a little green when she said that.

"Ms. Robbins. I am afraid that I can not allow you to risk your health to prove a theory." he said. Sable shook her head.

"Professor, I am the only one who can do this; you know that. I am not about to put other people's lives in danger when I'm not sure how this is going to turn out." 

"I am sorry, Ms. Robbins." he said firmly. "It is too dangerous for you to continue. I am well aware of how much this would mean to you. And I have no doubt that you have already put a large amount of work into this, but I cannot allow you to do this." Sable searched her mind in an attempt to change the man's mind.

"Please, Professor...." 

"Ms. Robbins, may I ask you one more question?" he interrupted. Sable nodded and waited for the Inquisition to begin again. "Why exactly did you pick lycanthropy as your topic for research?" Sable's temper was starting to get the better of her, but she couldn't tell off a teacher.

"Professor," she said calmly, "you, as well as, the rest of the staff know what I am. I am the offspring of two infected werewolves. I wasn't born during the full moon, so I don't transform like the others. I've been with my parents since I was born, and I've seen what they have had to go through during the changes every month. I have always wanted to do something to help them, but I couldn't. I didn't know how. It's almost like they lose their minds when,...... well you know. I know there has got to be something that can be done to help them." The old man was somewhat surprised at the vehement response to his question. He hadn't expected her to tell the truth. He had expected some fabricated lie.

"Ms. Robbins, if there is anyone you can test the potion on, I will allow you to continue." he said. "However, I must impress upon you the seriousness of the task before you. I will inform the Headmaster of your decision, as he seems to be under the impression that you were going to test it on some unsuspecting victim." Sable bristled at the accusation. Dumbledore knew what was going on with her research. Why would he suspect something like that.

"I assure you, Professor, I do not test my potions on unsuspecting people." she said fiercely. "I don't believe in playing with a person's life like that." The man only nodded and dug out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Very well, Ms. Robbins." he said. "I do recall you saying that your next class is Charms, with Flitwick if I am not mistaken?"

"Yes, sir."

"Quite a useful class, if I do say so myself." he muttered. "The control and precision needed to control a charm is also the same needed to brew a potion." He wrote a hasty note on the parchment, excusing Sable for being tardy. "I take it you do well in that class as well, Ms. Robbins. You do have a very firm grasp of both concepts, as is shown in your skill with potions."

"Yes, sir." she said. "My mark in Charms is rivaled only by the mark in this class." Treble actually smiled at her. He nodded and waved a hand in her direction, his usual, gruff demeanor coming back.

"You are dismissed, Ms. Robbins." he said. "Good day." Sable nodded and turned to leave the classroom.

"Good day to you also, Professor Treble." She turned to walk out of the door, but bumped into someone else rather hard. She looked up and saw Snape's face in front of her own.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Severus." she said quickly. "You okay? I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going." She looked up and saw him grimace.

Snape had been going down the hallway when he realized that he had left one of his books in the Potions classroom. As he had walked back down the corridor, he heard the voice of his Head of House and Sable. He figured it would be prudent to find out what they were speaking about, since it was obviously personal enough to have a teacher-student conference. He crept up to the side of the door and caught the ending of the conversation.

"..something to help them, but I couldn't. I didn't know how. It's almost like they loose their minds when, ..... well you know........." Snape's attention was immediately drawn into the conversation. He listened until she had told Professor Treble good-bye. He stood, but he had miscalculated his timing along the way, and Sable walked out of the door and right into him. When he saw her look up, he realized that he had some fast thinking to do.

"Severus, are you okay?" Sable asked. The older boy shook his head and nodded. 

"I'm fine, Sable. I apologize for running into you. I'm afraid I was coming to retrieve an article that I had left behind. Excuse me, please." Snape swept past her and into the classroom. Sable heard as Professor Treble questioned why he wasn't in class. Snape gave him some sort of reply that seemed to satisfy him. As Snape walked out of the classroom again, Sable was throwing her books back into her bag. She turned to leave when Snape stopped her.

"Is everything okay, Sable?" he asked. "You seem a little pale."

"It's nothing. Professor Treble needed to speak with me about my project for the year. It's nothing." she fibbed.

"If you don't mind my asking," Snape said, "what is the problem with your project. You're topic is lycanthropy, isn't it?" Sable nodded and started walking towards the end of the hallway.

"I'm surprised you remembered." she said. "Yes, it is, though."

"What are trying to find, a cure?" he asked. "You know that's close to impossible." Sable nodded and frowned.

"Unfortunately, I am aware of that." she answered. "I was hoping to find a potion that will counteract the affects of lycanthropy on the mind of infected humans."

"So, what was the problem?" he asked.

"I have no one to test the final potion on." she said. "If I brew the potion, I won't have anyone to test it on because the test subject has to be infected with lycanthropy. I don't know of anyone that is. And even if I did, who says they'll trust an eighteen year old witch with their life?" Snape snorted and Sable hid a smile. She knew he was thinking about Remus being a werewolf. He was probably wishing she would make a fatal mistake in the potion and use him as a test subject. _'Not likely, buddy. You wouldn't get that lucky.'_ she thought. 

"So, are you going to change your project topic?" he asked. Sable shook her head. 

"No, if anything, this just makes me more determined to try. I'll find someone to test the potion on; even if I have to go back to America to do it." she said. Snape nodded and stopped as they reached a split in the hallway. 

"You will make progress, Sable." he said quietly. "Good day."

"Good day to you also, Severus." she said, turning to the left. She walked down the hallway and was soon out of sight. Snape watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

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'Lord Voldemort will be pleased to hear of this.' he thought. With that final, sadistic thought, he turned and went to the class he shared with the Ravenclaw students.

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A/N - Okay, how's THAT one go? Guys, please, leave me something to work with here. I'm not threatening to cancel the story or anything, but if I don't get any feedback about the story, I'm going to give up hope on it. Please, tell me something. 


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was

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A/N : Okay, I've come to the conclusion that there are people who actually like this story Huh, go figure. 

Rumors and Truths

Severus Snape had spent the next few days gathering information on anything and everything he could about lycanthropy. He had a suspicious hunch that Sable knew about Lupin's lycanthropy, and was using her own work in Potions to help find something to make the transformations easier for him. As he delved deeper and deeper into the world of werewolves, he learned that the there was no possible cure for the disease. What he did find was enough to help him form a decent plan. He planned on sabotaging Sable's potion by putting a strong dose of poison in it. Once again, he had a hunch that Lupin was going to be the one to test the potion for her. _'At least I can get rid of Lupin in the process.'_ he thought. _'I put the poison in the cauldron, she gives it to him to test, and voila, Lupin's dead and Sable is guilty as Hell. Perfect.'_

He snapped the book shut and put it back on the shelf. He rose from the couch he had been sitting on placed the book at the end of the shelf. The librarian, Madame Pince, was stringent with her books. She would kick anyone out who was breaking the rules. As he walked out of the library, the sight that beheld him was surprising. Pulled in the corner was Remus Lupin and Sedera Walsh, a sixth year Slytherin student. It looked like Sedera had cornered the boy and tried to snog him senseless. Lupin looked like he was about to jump out of his skin. Snape cleared is throat rather loudly and Sedera pulled back. Remus actually looked relieved. Sedera, however, looked annoyed.

"Severus," she said icily, "don't you have some place to be right now?" 

"Actually, if I remember correctly, Sedera, the sixth years are at Arithmancy right now. What are you doing here, and snogging that piece of filth at that?" he sneered, jerking his head towards Lupin. 

"I don't see as to where that is any of your business, Severus." she cooed. "Remus and I were perfectly fine until you got here." She put her hand on Remus shoulder and Severus could see the revulsion in his face.

"Well, Ms. Walsh, I suggest you and Mr. Lupin find another place to continue your amorous tryst, because I will not have a member of my house being caught in the middle of the hallways during a scheduled class period. The last thing we need is more points taken off." he growled. Sedera looked at him rather primly, and ignored him. Severus was not a person to be taken lightly. He never was one to worry about other people's personal relationships, but now he was grateful that his roommate was the biggest gossip in Slytherin House. "If you refuse to leave, Ms. Walsh, I will be forced to talk to Mr. Cunningham about this infraction. I'm sure you don't want that, do you?" William Cunningham was Sedera's boyfriend, a Slytherin Quidditch Beater, and a Slytherin Prefect. He would not like to hear about this at all. With the mention of her boyfriend's name, Sedera paled considerably and stooped to get her book bag. She turned to Remus and gave him a quick smile.

"We'll finish this later." she said quietly. Remus looked dubious and tried to straighten his rumpled clothes.

"Like Hell, we will!!" he said out loud. He glanced up at Snape and frowned. The boy had actually just gotten him out of a lot of trouble. He hadn't been trying to snog Sedera. She just kind of cornered him while he was coming towards the library to work on some History of Magic essays. He ignored the boy and took up his book bag. He was about to leave when Snape's voice stopped him.

"It's a pity you can't keep a hold on yourself, Lupin." he sneered. "I know of one very sweet, sensitive lady who isn't going to like hearing about your little run-in with Sedera Walsh."

Lupin glared at the boy as though he was stupid.

"What are you talking about, Snape?" he said. "I think you've finally lost what little sense you had left." Snape sneered and watched as he walked down the hallway.

"Yes," he called out, "Ms. Robbins will be most displeased with your infidelity." Remus stiffened as he heard Sable's name. He turned around and glared at Snape, wishing that looks could kill.

"Sable could care less about what I do." he answered firmly. "She's not my girlfriend, and she is most definitely not my mother." Snape smirked and shook his head.

"Really, well, that's not what I had heard." he said icily. "I was under the impression that you two were the golden couple of the Gryffindors, next to Potter and Lily of course. But then again, the Hogwart's rumor mill can always get a simple story wrong." Snape smirked and raised is head up. _'After word gets passed around and fabricated a little, you and Sedera will have went from a little snog in the hallway to shagging in the library. Won't Sable be happy about that?' _he thought.

"Well, your impression was wrong." he stated firmly. 

"I'm glad to hear that, Lupin." he said. "I know of one or two of my own house mates who will be very happy to hear that she is currently on the market, so to speak." He looked up at the flustered Gryffindor and gave a wry smile. "I'm even happy to hear it myself. Perhaps our classes together will be a little more interesting now." Remus walked up into the face of the Slytherin and growled.

"If any of you slimy, underhanded, son-of-a-bitches touch her, I'll personally rip you apart myself!!!!" he threatened. Snape seemed to find this funny. He snickered and met the Gryffindor's unspoken challenge.

"You're awful protective of her, Lupin. Are you sure you two aren't together?" he mocked. "Or maybe you are just leading the poor girl on. She does seem quite taken with you, Lupin. You may not have seen it, but the rest of the school has. Such a pity."

"I am not worthy to have her." he said fiercely. "And as far as I'm concerned, no man in this school is. Especially if they are in Slytherin House!!!" Snape backed off and shook his head.

"It's a pity, really." he said sadly. "She should not have been put in Gryffindor. She thinks too much like us Slytherins. I am afraid that when she finds out about you and Sedera's little rendevous, she won't see you in such a good light. Maybe someone else will be there to pick her up when she gets crushed. It's such a pity she's not a Slytherin. She would never be lonely."

"She's not lonely," Remus vented, "She has me and the rest of the House to keep her company." Snape only shook his head at the other boys misunderstanding.

"You don't understand, Lupin. You never did. Sable is the type of person that needs reassurance that she's worth something. From the beginning of the year, she has been looking for a way to get reassurance from the likes of you, Black, Potter, and Pettigrew."

"You're finally leaving Lily out of this?" he smirked.

"Yes, because once again, she has seen what was so plain to the rest of us."

"And what would that be?"

"Sable is insecure with herself. There is something different about that girl, and you know it. She has something that forces her to keep herself apart from others. She has something that no other female on this campus has, and it keeps her insecure. Lily noticed this, and reassures Sable of her worth. She's just looking for acceptance from the others. Her work with the younger children prove that point already. They accept her, because they know no better. They're trusting to the girl. She's like a motherly figure some of them never had. And she loves the attention, even if it is from eleven and twelve year olds. It makes her feel needed, wanted. But then again, you never know what will happen. I mean, really, if the likes of the mighty 'Marauders' can't keep her happy, then maybe she just might turn to someone who will." Snape nodded his head and turned to leave from the hallway.

Remus had to control the part of him that wanted to pound that slimy Slytherin into the ground. He was furious at the accusations that the boy held in front of him. Even though the majority of what he had said was true, Remus didn't want to face it. He turned and went into the library after standing there for another five minutes getting his temper in check. _'That slimy bastard is going to have hell to pay for that.'_ he thought.

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Later that evening Sable was sitting on the Quidditch Pitch with Lily, watching the boys practice for the upcoming game against Slytherin. They were sitting at the north end of the Pitch; the Slytherin team was sitting at the south end of the Pitch. It was an impromptu scrimmage game for both teams. Seems that one of the hot-headed Chasers for Slytherin had made James mad enough to challenge the entire team to an after schools scrimmage. The Slytherin team had accepted, and were currently getting their butts kicked. 

Lily was trying to study for the next days History of Magic test, but her attention kept wavering when she would hear someone smack the iron Bludger. The twang of metal would have her scanning the sky for a sign of her boyfriend. As soon as she would spot him, she would sigh and try to begin her work again. It all worked until someone else hit the Bludger again, then the vicious cycle started all over again. Sable grinned as Lily looked up towards the sky yet again. Remus had caught onto the pattern earlier, and every time Lily looked up, he would laugh.

"I don't want to hear your snickering, Remus." she admonished. "You'd do the same thing if Sable were up there, and you know it." He grinned and shook his head.

"Yeah, I would." he admitted. "But she's not up there, is she?" Sable blushed and laughed as Lily and Remus began a bickering match that would probably last a while. Sable stood up and began to walk down the stairs when she met up with Peter.

"Where you heading, Sable?" he asked. 

"Bathroom." she said. "Oh, Pete, would you do me a favor?" The blond boy nodded and Sable smiled. "If Lily wants to know where I went off to, tell her will you. She seems to be fully engrossed in a debate with Remus right now." Peter smiled and nodded.

"They're bickering again?" He asked. Sable nodded and began to descend the steps again. She went to the girl's lavatory and was out again in no time. As she walked out of the lavatory, she heard the voices of some girls coming from behind the building. She wasn't sure who it was, and she really didn't want to find out. But before she could get out of earshot, she heard something that made her stop in her tracks.

"Yeah, I heard that Sedera and Remus Lupin were getting it on hot and heavy after third period today." one girl said. Sable shook her head to make sure she was hearing them right.

"Oh, right. Michelle told me that Sarah told her that Severus came out of the library and caught them going at in the middle of the hallway. Can you believe them, in broad daylight." said a second.

"Why is Sedera snogging Lupin? He's a Gryffindork for Merlin's sake. And she's got Cunningham wrapped around her finger as it is. What's she doing, snogging Lupin and shagging Cunningham?" the third said.

"Well, you know how 'Dera can be," the first one said. "She wants every guy and any guy she can get her hands on. Personally, I think she's on a quest to bed every guy in Hogwart's before she graduates." 

"Really though, Lupin?" the third one admonished. "She could have picked someone besides him. Black is better than that."

"Isn't he with that Robbins girl?" a fourth voice asked. "The one who Severus is always going on about."

"Who? Black?" she asked.

"No. Lupin." the third girl said.

"Oh, I don't know. I thought they were together, but Severus told me that Remus said something about her not being worthy of him, or something like that." the first said.

"Yeah, he told me about that too." the second one said. "He said Remus told him that Sable wasn't worthy of having them as friends, let alone anything else......." Sable leaned up against the wall and put her hand to her forehead. She was hurting so bad it was nearly impossible to bare. She slid down against the wall and stared at the ground for a few moments, trying to get herself under control. _'What the hell happened? Remus snogging some Slytherin sixth year? When did this happen? And since when am I not worthy enough to be around them? I can't believe he would say something like that! I can't believe it!' _Her thoughts were running together, and she couldn't think straight. A million different questions were amassing in her mind, and she didn't have the answers to any of them. She felt as though someone had given her a sharp blow to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She felt the beginning of hot, salty tears forming in her eyes, but she fought them back. Her mind began to slow down, and she stood up from the wall, intent on finding out exactly what had happened. 

She walked back over to the stands and found Remus and Lily still engrossed in the argument. She settled down next to Peter and began watching the scrimmage again.

"How's it looking so far, Pete?" she asked, forcing a smile and trying to make small talk.

"We're still up by fifty points." he said. "James found the Snitch a few minutes ago, but Cunningham knocked him off course before he could catch it." Sable nodded and watched the skyline. She suddenly saw a swoop of red and a glint of gold. James had caught the Snitch. The stands of Gryffindor supporters yelled out in happiness, and this brought Remus and Lily out of their debate. Sable watched as Lily looked out over the field again, searching for James. She found him and waved enthusiastically. She saw James grin back and wave. The Slytherin team was starting to disband and go to the locker rooms. Pete and Lily had already left the stands by the time she had gathered up her things. Remus was standing next to her, but she pointedly ignored him. He didn't seem to notice, so she left.

"Where you headed, Sable?" was the only thing she heard from him as she left. 

"Why don't you ask Sedera? She can probably tell you!!" she yelled back. She ran down the remaining steps and towards the castle, pushing everyone out of her way. Remus had only caught a few words of what she had said, but he had head enough to know that she had found out about his little run-in with the Slytherin bitch. _'Oh, shit, I'm in for it now!!'_ he thought. He tried to run down the steps, but all of the Gryffindor supporters were blocking his way. When he finally got to the bottom of the stairs, he was crushed by Sirius and James. They were totally engrossed in their victory over Slytherin to pay anyone else any attention. 

"PARTY IN GRYFFINDOR COMMON ROOM TONIGHT, PEOPLE!!!' Sirius yelled. 'LET'S SHOW THESE SNAKES HOW IT'S DONE!!!!' The entire crowd surrounded them in no time at all, and Remus was lost in the middle of it all. 

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A/N - Uh-oh, Remus is in the doghouse now!!! Hehehehe. Anyway, leave me a review and tell me what you think. It's really helpful. Later.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was. 

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A/N : Okay. I hope you guys enjoy this one. Remember to leave me a review telling me your opinions. Later. Oh, and a special thanks to….

MooNi13 : Okay. Okay. Calm down. J Here it is. And I know how you feel about reading other fics when you're in the middle of another. I hate that. Later.

Journal Snatchers

Sable managed to avoid any and all conversation with Remus for the rest of the week, which was amazing considering that the scrimmage had been on Wednesday, and it was now Sunday evening. He had sought her out that night, but she had locked both the portrait hole and the entrance to her room from the hall. By now, the entire school had heard about the little incident in the hallway. Lily had heard that the only reason Sedera did it was because she and some of her friends had been playing an on going game of 'truth or dare' and she had been dared to snog Remus the next time she saw him. Well, the girl had guts, because she had admitted it to Cunningham and he had obviously let her off, so Lily figured the story was true. When she told Remus about it, he had tried to talk to Sable, but it was useless. She only came out of her room for classes, no other time. Lily even tried to reason with her, but it was pointless, she was being as stubborn as anyone had ever seen her. She wouldn't speak to any of them during classes, and she disappeared the second she had any free time. It had been going on like this for four days, and no one had been able to get through to her. Snape was sitting on the sidelines, laughing his merry little head off the entire time. He watched as the drift began to widen between them, and he waited. Waited to make his next move, which would put her right in the palm of his hands.

Snape saw Sable as she left the confines of Hogwarts and went out to the lake. She spread a thin blanket over the ground and sat down on it, her back against the willow tree that was nearby. He saw when she pulled out a diary and a quill. He pulled his cloak on his shoulders and decided to join his victim for a little while. 

Sable sat under the tree, writing everything in her journal. It wasn't her normal journal. This one was a present from her parents for her eighteenth birthday. The book was bound by leather and the creamy white pages were lined in a golden ribbon. Sable's neat, cursive handwriting flowed from one page to another. Her thoughts, feelings, desires, everything was in that book. It was her most personal possession. Everything that anyone wanted to know was in that book. If it ever got to someone else's hands, she could be in big trouble. Because of that, she had put a locking spell on it.

She shivered at the amount of information in the little book. Knowing that it was dangerous to leave the ledger lying around, she stuffed it back into her bag and leaned up against the bark of the tree. The sun was warm and comforting. There were no little children around bugging her for help. The Marauders were somewhere else, thankfully out of her hair for the time being. Lily was somewhere with the Headmaster. She tried to relax, but it wasn't happening. As she shifted her weight again, she heard the shuffle of nearby leaves. She opened her eyes and saw the pale, angular face of Severus Snape looking down at her.

"Am I interrupting anything?" he asked. Sable shook her head and sat up, motioning for the boy to sit down.

"Nah, have a seat." she said. "I can use someone to talk to right now." Snape acted surprised, but said nothing.

"What's wrong?" he asked, knowing what was the bother.

"I'm not sure." she admitted. Snape cocked his head to one side and frowned.

"Yes, you are." he said. "It's Potter and the others, isn't it?" Sable nodded and hung her head in defeat.

"How'd you know?" 

"Well, you aren't on speaking terms with any of them. I saw that in class yesterday when you wouldn't speak to Lily. You haven't been in the Hall for a meal for the past few days, and they're not out here right now with you." he said.

"Jeez, I didn't know it was that visible." she said glumly. "Have you been watching me?"

"It's visible to someone who knows what to look for, Sable." he said quietly. Sable nodded, understanding what the implied meaning was. He looked around and noticed her book bag near the blanket. "You come out here to do work?" he asked. Sable shook her head and pulled out her journal. 

"No, I came out her to write." she said. "It helps me clear my head when things get hectic." Severus nodded in agreement.

"That's not your normal journal, is it?" he asked.

"No, it's not my Potions journal, if that is what you're asking." she said, putting the book back. "This is the journal my parents gave me. I keep it with me at all times, mainly because I'm afraid someone will steal it from me."

"What kind of information do you have in there that you must keep on guard at all times?" he joked. Sable frowned and shoved the book in the bag, shutting the clasp. 

"Information that would get me into a lot of trouble, my friend. A lot of trouble." she said sadly. "And if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Snape smiled and shook his head in mock disbelief.

"So, our Potions Mistress isn't as good as everyone thinks she is." he teased. Sable laughed and nodded.

"I'm not everything people think I am, Severus. In fact, there's a whole lot more to me than most people realize." she said quietly.

"I understand." was all he said. Sable nodded and looked out over the lake. The two teenagers sat there for a few more minutes before Snape broke the silence that had penetrated the air around them.

"Well, Ms. Robbins, I am afraid that I must be off. I must finish some essays for a certain Arithmancy Professor before she has my head on a silver platter." He stood and bowed to her, causing her to smile.

"Professor Trish can be rather testy at times." Sable agreed. Snape nodded and turned to walk back to the castle. 

"Severus!" Sable called out. Snape turned around and looked back at the girl. "Thank you." she said. Snape nodded and turned to go back to the castle, an evil grin plastered to his face.

Next to Sable, a boy with brown hair and blue eyes watched from underneath an invisibility cloak as his friend smiled at his number one enemy. She began packing up her things, and he watched as she left with a lighter heart than she came with.. Only when she was gone, did he allow himself to come out from under the hiding garment. And only then did he realize exactly what had happened the day before. He also realized that the only way to get Sable to listen to reason was to corner her and force her to listen. With that thought in mind, he made his way back up to the castle and into Gryffindor Tower with little difficulty. 

The Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses were sitting in Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall later that week when Severus Snape and Cody Flint decided to put their plan into action. Snape had relayed the information about Sable's diary to Flint the day after it had happened. He had found it rather amusing that she would confide in a book, rather than her dear friends. The diary would be very useful, especially if it contains as much information as Sable had let on. Snape glanced around the room and noticed the sitting arrangements of the wonderful Gryffindor 'Dream Team'. Pettigrew and Black were sitting in the back of the class on the last two rows. Potter and Lily were sitting in front of them, and Lupin was sitting in front of Lily. Sable was as far away from the entire group as she possible could be, closer to the Slytherins than to her own house mates. Professor McGonagall was walking in between the rows of students, helping with the days lesson of human to animal transfiguration. The students were practicing turning their partners into different types of animals. With the way Sable was clutching her wand, she was probably thinking about some rather painful transformations she would have like to put some people though. Obviously, the grudge was still being held against the others on her part. _'Perfect.'_ Snape thought. 

He signaled to Flint and the Qudditch captain aimed his transfiguring spell towards Pettigrew. The flash of purple light lept across the room and surrounded the unsuspecting Marauder. His partner, Sirius Black, jumped back and pulled away from the spell, not knowing what was going on. Professor McGonagall seemed to have not noticed the abrupt change, as she went on speaking with another student. Sable's eyes flickered over to the others, but went wide when she saw Peter change. 

Peter's features quickly changed from that of a human to that of a satyr, a half human, half goat creature. He immediately began running around the classroom in panic. Since satyrs were naturally flighty creatures, Peter had taken on the mentality of the creature also, as was expected from the spell. Professor McGonagall had explained that any animal the students were transfigured into would also retain a slight mental functioning similiar to that of the animal they were. For example, a person transfigured into a dog would be happy and playful. Whereas a person transfigured into a snake would be mean and threatening. 

The entire class turned to look at the damage done by Flint's ill-aimed spell. Peter was quivering in the corner, trying to shy away from all of the people in the classroom. Sirius jumped up and made for Flint.

"You slimy git, change him back!" Sirius yelled.

"What are you yacking about, Black?" Flint sneered, "I didn't do anything to him."

"You're lying!" he said. The two boys seemed to be ready to fight it out to find the answer. However, Professor McGonagall intervened and made Sirius go back to his seat. When the temperamental teenager was safely back in his seat, she turned to a very frightened Peter and said the counter curse for the spell. 

Some of the other students were getting up to look at the scene. Snape waited until Sable and her partner had left the desk before dipping his hand into her bag, searching for the leather cover of her journal. By now, McGonagall had calmed Peter enough to change him back to his original self. He went back to his seat, glaring daggers at the Slytherins. 

When Sable returned to her seat, she and her partner, Allen Baker, completed the transfigurations in record time. Soon enough, the bell rang for the end of class. Sable gathered up her belongings and left the classroom in a hurry, going straight for her spot in the library. It seemed like that was the only place left in the school that she could get some peace and quiet. She waved at Allen and wove her way down the hallway toward the library without a word of acknowledgment to anyone else in the room.

Snape watched the girl leave the room in a huff. She hadn't spoken to any of the other Gryffindor students, so he was assuming that the fight was still on. He looked over at Flint, who had a rather devious look to his eyes. The Quidditch captain nodded and they left for the dungeons of the castle, Sable's journal firmly tucked away in Snape's bag.

****Later, after dinner****

Snape pulled the journal out of his bag and put it on the desk in his room. On the cover of the journal was a saying that he had heard only a few times before.

"_Women's faults are many. But men have only two. Everything they say, and everything they do."_ Severus smirked and shook his head. He tried to open the book, but found that it was sealed shut. _'I didn't think she was stupid enough to leave it unguarded.'_ he thought. He pulled out his wand and tried to find a countercurse for the spell. After a good half-hour of backfiring spells, he finally got it open.

He opened the journal and found page after page of Sable's neat, flowing writing. He looked at one particular entry that had been written in green ink, and smirked. _'I always knew she was a Slytherin at heart.'_ he thought. He settled in for the night, and flipped to the beginning of the journal. She must have just started it, because the first entry was on September 1st. 

__

September 1st

Well, I'm back at Hogwarts, and it feels so much like home. The past two years at Salem have been horrid. I think everyone was happy to see me today, even though the boys didn't recognize me at first. Lily recognized me as soon as she saw me on the train. The boys were a little slower to remember, but they found out at the Sorting. I think Sirius wanted to kick himself for not recognizing me sooner. The big Prat!! He always was a sucker. Still is obviously. But's it's okay. I still love all of them.

They all seemed happy at the Sorting...everyone by Remus. I hope nothing's wrong with him. Then again, Luna's gonna be out in her glory tomorrow. Maybe he'll feel better once she's gone. I know I always do.......

Snape looked up from the book with a start. He rubbed his eyes and read the last paragraph over again to make sure he wasn't imagining anything. 

"She's a wolf!????" he said. "I can't believe it. There is no way in Hell that girl is a wolf!!!" He turned back to the page and continued to read. 

__

September 4th

I am too excited and confused to write yesterday. Basically, I told everyone about the lycanthropy potion.... they FREAKED!! I tried to hide from them, but Remus found my room while he was searching the DADA corridor. I still hadn't figured out how he got the password. When I told him I was immune, he kissed me. Go figure. He is so infuriating!! How he's trying to avoid me. Wonderful!!!

Well, I ran into my rival today. Severus Snape is still the same as when I left two year ago....almost. He's changed some how, and I don't mean physically. But, I can't put my finger on it. He's colder now, more reclusive. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm reading too far into it. At least our old rivalry is still there. That'll give us something to talk about.

"Yes, my dear," he said, "that will undoubtedly give us something to talk about." He flipped through a few more pages and landed on another promising looking entry.

__

September 11th

Treble is questioning my reasons for working on my lycanthropy potion. He says I don't have anyone to test it on. Little does he know, there are more lycanthropic people out there than he knows. And I have my experiment in plan already. I just have to wait until the right time to administer the potion. Does he realize what this potion would do for my friends and family. Mom and Dad would be so proud of me if I could find something to help them during the transformations.

"Her parents are wolves?" Severus asked no one. "This is definitely going to please Lord Voldemort." The door to his dorm opened and Snape through the diary under a pile of papers. He looked up and saw Cody Flint, his room mate, enter the room. He nodded to the other boy and pulled the book out from underneath the pile fo papers.

"Find anything useful?" Flint asked. Snape nodded and grinned.

"Yes, actually I have." he said.

"Well..."

"Her parents are lycanthropic, and she knows about Lupin being a werewolf, too." he said. Flint nodded and grabbed some fresh clothes, he had just come back from Quidditch practice.

"I figured she knew about Lupin. Her parents are a surprise though."he asked. "What else?" 

"I think she may also be lycanthropic." Snape said. Flint stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the other boy.

"You're kidding me, right?" he said. "Robbins can't be a wolf, she doesn't exhibit any of the symptoms." 

"Are you sure about that, Flint?" Snape asked. "Where was she the last time we had a full moon?" Cody couldn't answer the question, and he sat down on the bed. Snape continued on as though he wasn't waiting for an answer. "She also has her own room somewhere off of the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor. I'm guessing it's some type of laboratory, since she never works in the dungeons after class."

"Lord Voldemort will be pleased with this information." Flint said. Snape nodded and put the journal in his desk drawer.

"We can finish reading over this later," he said. "I believe we both have some place to be at the moment?" Flint nodded.

"Yes, Lord Voldemort had another meeting planned this evening. Perhaps we should take the journal with us, to show we have proof of what we are telling him." Snape shook his head and threw on a cloak.

"Not yet, Flint." he said, "Let's make sure we are on the right track before we bring the journal up into the picture. If the information in the book is misleading, Voldemort will have our heads on a silver platter." The other boy nodded and they quickly slipped out of the castle to the Slytherin locker rooms where two brooms were waiting to carry them to Hogsmeade.

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A/N - Okay. How was that one? Any better? I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I know I really love this story. Don't know why though.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was.

Patching Things Up

The next few days were uneventful for Hogwart's students. No one blew anything up and there were no fights. Everything was peaceful in the castle. Yet, this peace was short lived when James and Lily found a very distraught Sable Robbins searching the corridors for something late one evening. 

Sable had noticed that her journal was missing that evening when she was straightening out her book bag. She thought she might have left it somewhere in her room, but she had already tore the place apart looking for it. She remembered having it Sunday when she was at the lakeside, but she hadn't had it after that. As she came out of the History of Magic classroom, James and Lily caught up with her. 

"Sable, what are you doing down here?" James asked, "Dinner started fifteen minutes ago." He looked at the girl carefully and noticed that her eyes were red and swollen.

"I'm looking for something." she answered. Lily shook her head and frowned, noticing the circles under her swollen, red eyes.

"Sable, what's wrong?" she asked. "You've been crying." The dark haired girl just shook her head.

"No, I haven't." she lied. "What are you two doing down here anyway, if dinner started fifteen minutes ago?"

"We've just finished patrols." James said gently. "Looking for run amuck students like you." Lily nodded and took another look at the girl before her. 

"James," she said, "why don't you go on without me. I'll catch up in a few minutes." 

"Why?' he asked. Lily gave him a look that screamed for him to get lost. "Okay, okay. I'm going. I'm going." He turned his back and walked back down the hallway, leaving the two girls to their own devices. Lily sighed and pulled Sable into an empty classroom. She shut the door and locked it with a few charms, then turned to Sable with a grimace.

"What's going on, Sable? You haven't been acting right for a week." Lily asked. Sable said nothing, but sat at a desk and looked out the window.

"I've lost my journal, Lily." she said simply. Lily was a little confused. _'She's worried about a journal?'_ Lily thought, _'She's been acting like a bitch to everyone because she lost a journal?'_

"So? Get another one." Lily said. Sable's eyes flashed and she stood from the seat.

"Lily, you don't understand." she said. "That journal had everything in it. If anyone gets a hold of that book and shows anyone else, I'm up shit's creek without a paddle. Not only that, all the research I've done is in that book."

"It's your Potion's journal?" she asked.

"No. It's my personal journal. And everything that people aren't supposed to know is in those pages. I have to find it, Lily! If anyone else does, they're going to find out that not only am I full of lycanthropy, but so is my parents and Remus." She sat down in a huff and started to cry again. Lily understood the severity of the situation and quickly moved to comfort her.

"Sable, we'll find the journal. It can't have gone far."

"I've looked everywhere, Lily. I don't know where it's at!"

"Let's get the boys on it." Lily volunteered. "If it's in the castle, they'll find it." Sable quickly shook her head. 

"I don't want to deal with them right now. Especially not Remus." she said quietly. Lily nodded and stood up from the girl. 

"Look, Sable. I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But I just thought you should know that the whole episode in the hallway last week with Remus and Sedera was a joke." 

"What are you talking about?" she snorted. "Snape told me himself what he saw."

"But what Snape conveniently forgot was why she did it to begin with." Sable looked a little wary, but the red-head kept on. "Sable, Sedera had been dared to snog Remus the next time she saw him. Her and a few of her girlfriends have an ongoing game of 'truth or dare' going on. They dared her to snog Remus, and Snape caught them."

"That's not what I heard." she mumbled.

"Maybe you would have heard the truth long before now if you wouldn't have holed yourself up in your room, away from everyone else. Sedera even admitted to it." Lily said gently. "The boys have been trying to talk to you for a week, and you kept pushing them away, especially Remus." Sable broke down into sobs then. Lily said nothing, but held her for a few minutes.

"Why didn't you tell me anything, Lily?" she questioned.

"Remus wanted to tell you himself, and apologize for anything he might have done to upset you. He told me that he went to find you after the scrimmage against Slytherin last week, but you had locked your doors. I believe he thinks you've changed your mind about going to the ball with him."

"That's true, I had." she admitted. "Lily, what am I going to do? I've got to find that journal, but I don't want to have to face Remus. I think he is really peeved at me right now. But I do still want to go with him; I'm just upset right now."

"Actually, he's scared to come anywhere within hexing range of you. He's scared you will Avada him for what happened." Lily joked.

"Are the other guys mad at me, too?" she asked timidly. Lily shook her head and stood again.

"Actually, they find it quite funny that you two are having a 'lover's quarrel', as Sirius so eloquently put it." Sable grinned and shook her head.

"I have a feeling he would know more about that than I would." She said. Lily nodded and smiled.

"Well, let's go see if we can get some help to find that journal." she said. Sable stopped her and frowned.

"Look, Lily, I don't exactly want a confrontation in the middle of dinner." she said. Lily nodded in agreement. "Will you give something to Remus for me?" 

"Yeah, what is it?" 

"A note. I think I need apologize to him before I try to take on all four of them at once." Lily nodded as Sable dug a piece of parchment out of her bag and scribbled a note on it. She folded it up and handed it to Lily with a grimace. "He's going to kill me, you know that right?" Lily laughed at her nervousness.

"He's going to be too happy that you're talking to him again to worry about killing anybody." she said with a grin. 

"Thank you, Lily." she said quietly. 

"It's not a problem, and you know it. Now go." Sable nodded and left the corridor, leaving Lily to find James again on her own.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

When Lily walked into the Great Hall a few minutes later, she quickly spotted her boyfriend at the head of the table with Sirius, Peter, and Remus. She smiled and walked over to the table, fingering the note Sable had given her. She sat down next to James and grinned to the others. 

"Well, what happened?" James asked quietly, leaning towards her so the others couldn't hear him.

"I think we'll have her back with us before tonight is over with, James." Lily whispered. James nodded and smiled.

"Hey!!" Sirius yelled, "No whispering at the table. If you can't tell us, then wait till you're by yourselves." Lily and James snickered and went back to their meals. 

"Maybe you don't need to know what we were talking about." Lily said. 

"That's why you wait until you're by yourselves." Sirius said.

"Yeah, you know how much of a gossip Sirius can be." Peter said. They laughed continued on with their meal. After everyone was finished, Lily discreetly slipped the note into Remus' pocket while he was arguing with Sirius about which team was better, Puddlemere United or the Wimbourn Wasps. Apparently, he felt the piece of parchment because he turned and gave Lily a funny look. She only smiled and walked in front of him to go talk to James. Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of parchment. On it was scribbled one single sentence.

__

I know you want an apology, and deserve an explanation, so meet me in the lab after dinner and you'll get both. 

Remus blinked and looked back up to Lily. She was chatting with James, acting as though nothing was wrong. _'She's finally ready to talk.' _He thought. _'It's about bloody well time.'_

"Moony.... Moony... you listening to me?" Sirius asked, waving his hand in front of Remus' face. 

"Huh? Oh, Yeah... whatever you say, Pads." he said. He started to walk away, but Peter stopped him.

"Where you headed, Moony?" 

"I've got something I need to take care of." he said vaguely. He rushed out of the corridor and was out of sight before anyone else could say anything different. Lily smiled and continued to pull her friends along the corridor.

"Come on, guys," she said. "Remus is a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"And get himself into big trouble." muttered Peter.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Sable looked down into the cauldron to her right and sighed again. The potion just wasn't right. She added some more monkswood and stirred the cauldron again. _'This should do it.'_ she thought. She took the ladle out and put it on the side. Washing her hands in a nearby sink, she looked up to the food the elves had brought her. A plate of chicken sandwiches, pumpkin juice, and strawberries were sitting on a table nearby. She walked over to the food and grabbed half a sandwich.

"Might as well eat," she muttered. "I'm gonna have fight on my hands in about an hour anyways." She sat down at the table and finished off the two sandwiches and the pumpkin juice. Saving the strawberries for later, she put them in a napkin and placed them in her bedroom. "It's going to be a long night." she sighed.

Remus was halfway down the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor when he realized that he didn't know if she had changed the password to her room or not. _'Well, we're about to find out, aren't we?'_ he thought. When he made sure that there was no one else in the corridor, he gave the password to the suit of armor and it slid back. He used his wand to lift the locking spell from the door, and he slipped into the entrance to the hidden rooms. As he went down the hallway, he strained to hear some sort of sound coming from the other room. Nothing. He stopped at the tapestry and was about to pull it back when he heard Sable's voice.

"Come on in here, Remus." she said quietly. "I'm not going to hex you, I promise." He sighed and pushed the tapestry away, revealing Sable's laboratory. _'It's now or never.'_ he thought. He stepped down to the floor and waited, not sure what she wanted to say. Sable nodded and pushed a chair towards him, motioning for him to take a seat. 

"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked. Sable nodded. He sat and she sat on the edge of the table, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Look, Remus, I know I've been a complete and total bitch to you guys the past few days. And I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about what I had heard." she chuckled and looked away. "I guess I forgot what the Hogwart's rumor mill can do to a story once they get it rolling." Remus stood up from the chair and walked towards her.

"Sable, look..."

"Remus, please, let me finish before you chew me out. Okay?" she said. He nodded and waited for her to finish. "I'm sorry about everything that I did and didn't do. Lily told me the truth this evening while you guys were at dinner. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to act like such a, well for lack of a better word, witch." She jumped down from the table and waited for his reaction. 

"You done yet?" he asked gruffly. Sable nodded and stood shock still, her eyes closed and her head tilted down to the floor. Remus walked up to the girl and stared at her.

"You do realize that what happened was a joke? And one that I had nothing to do with at that." he asked. Sable nodded. "And you do realize that you over reacted to a rumor?" Once again, Sable nodded. "And you do realize that you are not getting off the hook due to your recent behavior any time soon." Sable looked up and frowned, not catching the slight grin he hid before she looked up.

"Okay, Remus," she said defiantly, "I know I screwed up royally, you don't have to rub it in. Just tell me off, and get it over with." She turned to walk away since he had started to aggravate her with his childish comments, even though they were true. Remus wasn't about to let her get away from him. He stopped her and made her face him once again, pretending as though the previous conversation had never ended.

"And you do realize that we have been trying to tell you the truth for the past week?" Sable glared up at him and frowned, but Remus continued.. "And you should have known that I wouldn't touch Sedera Walsh with a fifty foot pole."

"And do you realize how much I hate it when you you're right, and you rub it in my face?" she growled menacingly. Remus let go of her and grinned.

"Of course," he said, breaking the growing tension, "Why else would I do it?" Sable glowered at his response. _'The little prick was just trying to get a rise out of me!'_ she thought.

"You probably do it to just to see me get angry." she stated, folding her arms across her chest and frowning. Remus grinned and nodded.

"Guilty." he said, shrugging his shoulders. Sable rolled her eyes and punched him playfully in the arm. He retaliated by pinning her hands behind her so she couldn't move.

"Am I off the hook now?" she asked, knowing now that he really wasn't mad at her. Remus scoffed and looked down at her.

"Not with the others." he said.

"What about you?" she asked cautiously. 

"You're alright." he said. Sable nodded and smiled, glad that they were back on speaking terms. " So what prompted the sudden need to apologize to me?" he asked. Sable shifted and he let her go.

"I need you guy's help....." she began. Remus frowned.

"So the only reason you apologized was because you needed our help?" he asked, feigning insultment. "How crude of you. You couldn't apologize because we are such wonderful friends and you were devastated to know we were angry with you?" Sable rolled her eyes and waited for him to shut up. 

"If you would close that enormous trap of yours so I could finish," she said happily. "I will explain." Remus grinned and leaned up against a chair. "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." she began. "Not only do I need your help, but if it makes you feel any better, and I'm sure it does, but I missed you guys. Besides, I felt horribly guilty." 

"Good, you should be." he teased.

"You're not helping me any right now." she said. Remus nodded his head for her to continue. "Anyways, I need you guys to help me find a journal that I seemed to have misplaced."

"What's so important about it?" Remus asked.

"A lot of important information is in that book. To keep a story short, anything and everything that I know, have done, am doing, or will do is in that book."

"Everything?" Remus asked.

"Everything." she answered. Remus grimaced and shook his head. 

"I think we need to get James and the others in on this too." he said. Sable nodded in agreement. "The more people we have looking for it, the better." He began to walk towards the entrance to the hallway. 

"Where you going?" she asked.

"Well, unless you want me to go get the others and bring them down here," he said, "I suggest we go up to Gryffindor Tower to get them." 

"Good point." she said, following him out.

They reached the tower ten minutes later. As they opened the portrait hole, they were surprised to see Lily, James, Peter, and Sirius sitting near the fireplace. Remus cleared his throat and they looked up in surprise. The boy's eyes got really wide when they saw them coming, and Lily started smirking when he saw Sable come in after Remus. They walked over to the others and Sirius smiled.

"Good to have you back, Sable." he said. "I knew you couldn't stay away from us good-looking guys much longer; no woman can." Sable rolled her eyes and Remus smiled.

"You know you're right, Sirius." she said breathlessly, "I just can't help myself." Sirius smirked and looked up at her with a triumphant grin. Sable frowned and put her hands on her hips. "You were talking about Pete and Remus, right?" she asked innocently. Sirius stiffened up and frowned.

"What was that supposed to mean?" he asked "What about me and James?" 

"Oh, don't feel left out." she cooed. "But James is already taken, and I definitely don't want to get on the bad side of that red-head." she said, pointing to a grinning Lily.

"Well, what about me?" he asked.

"I didn't know you were putting yourself in that category, Sirius." she said, "I never did." Sirius glowered and shook his head while Sable looked on innocently. James nodded in appreciation and stood up.

"We've got our old Sable back." he said with a grin. Sable bowed low and nodded.

"Were you expecting someone else?" she asked rhetorically. The boys laughed and settled down onto the couch.

"So are you two over your little lover's quarrel?" Sirius asked. Remus shook his head, but Sable smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Of course, we are." she said sarcastically, "You know we can't stay at each other for long." Sirius nodded and settle down further into the couch. "We're too much alike."

"Good, now maybe Moony will quit moping around the castle day and night." he said.

"I wasn't moping!" Remus said defensively.

"Riiiiiiiiiight, Moony." Sirius said. "Whatever you say." 

"Shut it, Padfoot." Remus growled.

"Touchy, aren't we?" Peter teased. He looked over to Sable and grinned. 

"Now, boys," Sable said in a motherly fashion. "Quit teasing each other. You all know better than that." Lily laughed and shook her head.

"Well, now that Sable's back, we can get back to the business at hand. By the way boys, don't you owe me some money?" The boys groaned and began to dig money out of their pockets, handing it to Lily. After she pocketed the coins, she turned back to the boys. "Now, I think Sable needs our assistance in finding a lost journal."

"A what?" Peter asked.

"A journal." Sable said. "A very important journal that could get everyone one of us expelled if it fell into the wrong hands." James grimaced and nodded.

"What's in it?" Sirius asked stupidly. Sable frowned and shook her head.

"I'll give you three clues. Animagis. Werewolves. Illicit Potions. Do you know what it is now?" Sable asked sarcastically. Sirius nodded and leaned back into the overstuffed chair.

"How much information is in that book?" James asked. 

"Everything." she said.

"Everything?" Sirius asked. 

"Is there an echo in here?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Everything." They all looked grim and waited for her to continue.

"Do you know who took it?" Sirius asked.

"Would I be chatting with you right now if I did?" she said.

"Hey, no need to get testy." he said defensively, "Bad question."

"But no, I don't know who took it. The last person who saw me with it was Snape." Sable said.

"When was that?" Remus asked.

"Sunday, out by the lake."

"What was ol' tall, dark, and greasy doing outside on a Sunday? I thought he was allergic to sunlight?" Remus asked. Sable shrugged and continued to frown.

"I don't know, but he was actually being nice. Didn't even insult me once." Sable seemed surprised.

"That is not much to go on." Sirius said. Sable nodded in agreement. "When did you notice it was missing?"

"Yesterday." she answered. "But I figured I had just left it in my bedroom. When I finished classes, I went to go look for it. However, I didn't find it anywhere; I even tried a summoning charm. Nothing worked. And it's not in any of the classrooms because I've already looked there." 

"Well, what does it look like?" James asked.

"It's a normal journal, the size of a notebook. The cover and back are bound in leather and there is gold writing on the front of it." she said.

"What's the writing spell out?" Peter asked. Sable blushed lightly and mumbled something incoherent. 

"What was that?" Lily asked.

"Women's faults are many, but men have only two. Everything they say, and everything they do." she said quietly. Lily grinned and tried to hide a laugh. The boys were completely silent.

"You do realize that is about as chauvinistic as it gets?" Sirius asked. Sable nodded and tried to hid a smile.

"Yeah, but at the time, it was a good sentence to express my feelings." she said. "Besides, ninety percent of the time, it's true."

"You must have charmed it last week, after the whole Sedera and Remus thing." Lily said. Sable nodded and looked away, embarrassed. 

"How'd you guess?" Sable muttered. 

"I'm just good like that." she said.

"Well, guys," Sable asked, turning back to the boys, "where is the best place to start looking? You guys do know this castle inside and out." James looked at Peter, who looked at Sirius, who looked at Remus, who looked back at James.

"We don't know." they all said simultaneously. Sable rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You four are helpless." she stated.

"Yeah, it's one of their many faults." Lily snickered. James glared at her and started pouting like a baby. "Okay, I'm sorry James." she said, patting his unruly hair, "I didn't mean it. I promise." James smiled and grinned like a three year old.

"How about the Common Rooms for the Houses?" Remus suggested. "It makes the most sense since she couldn't find it anywhere in the classrooms."

"Remus is right." Sirius said. "But how are we going to get into the Common Rooms?"

"Now wait a minute." Lily admonished. "You four aren't allowed into the Common Rooms of the other Houses; you know that." 

"How exactly do you propose we get the journal back if we can't get into the Common Rooms?" Remus asked.

"James and I can do it. We have clearance to be in the other Common Rooms." she stated. James winked at the other boys over the head of Lily and smiled. The other boys nodded and quickly nodded their heads, but Sable was confused. _'They never agree with Lily on stuff like this. They're up to something, I'll bet.'_ she said nothing, but nodded also, catching the playful light in the other boys eyes.

"I think that is a good idea." Sirius said. "I don't think I need to get caught out of the Tower after curfew again for a few days. McGonagall was awfully mad when she caught me the other night." Remus snorted and looked over to the boy with a grin.

"And you really care, Padfoot?" he asked. Sirius grinned and shook his head.

"Not really," he answered.

"Well, it's settled then." Lily said. "James and I will go to the Common Rooms and see if anyone has seen the book. If it is there, you'll have it back tonight, Sable. I promise." Sable nodded and the two Heads left the Common Room in Gryffindor Tower. James looked back and gave them a thumbs up before walking out of the portrait hole with Lily. When she was sure the portrait was shut, Sable turned to the others and frowned.

"I swear that girl has the worst mood swings than any other girl on this campus!" Sirius said. "One minute, she's helping us to plan our next prank, then the next, she's trying to keep us out of the other house Common Rooms." The rest of them nodded, but Sable was lost.

"Okay, what was all that about?" she asked. The other boys laughed and Sirius nodded over to Peter, who immediately ran towards the boy's Common Room.

"Well, Sable." Remus explained, "while you were holed up in that dark room of yours, the rest of the pranksters decided to come up with our next brilliant plan of attack." 

"And how is this going to help in finding that journal?" she asked.

"Well, if I know Lils, and I do," Sirius grinned, "she will have brought James to the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw dorms before going to the Slytherins. In fact, I'm sure James will make the dungeons the last of their stops."

"Yeah, and once Lily and Arabella get to talking, James will have to pull the two girls apart." Remus said.

"So, how is this helping me? I don't get it?" she said.

"Well, you see this is what is going to happen." Sirius said. "Our prank actually relies on something you may have."

"And that would be....what?" Sable asked.

"You remember that potion you helped me brew?" Remus asked.

"Be a little more specific, Remus. I've helped you with hundreds." she said.

"The voice alteration potion." he said. Sable nodded, waiting for the rest of the plan.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, you see, some of that potion will be ingested by a select few seventh years tonight." Sirius said. "And tomorrow, they will be sounding nothing like themselves." Peter came back down the stairs then with a vile of green goo in his hand. He handed it to Sirius and Sable rolled her eyes when she realized what it was.

"_Permanent Sticky-Goo_?" she asked. "Really, Sirius, can't you be a little more imaginative?"

"Hey, it was the spur of the moment." he said defensively. Sable conceded and nodded her head. 

"So, how exactly is this going to help me get my journal back? I'm missing something is this wonderful plot, aren't I?" she asked. Remus nodded and Peter grinned.

"Well, when James and Lily are inspecting the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Common Rooms, Pete and I will be slipping into the dorms of the Houses under James' invisibility cloak." Sirius explained. "You know as well as I do that Lily won't force the other students to let her into their dorms to search for the book. It's too risky. Too many questions to answer later on. So, while they are threatening, coercing, and using other means to get the information out of the students, Wormtail and I will sneak into the dorms and plant the surprises. While we are there, we can search for the book in the dorms."

"Fine," Sable said, "but I get the Slytherin dorms and Common Room." Sirius shook his head and frowned.

"No way." he said. "That was the ones I wanted." Sable grinned and pulled out her trump card.

"It's either that, or you don't get the voice alteration potion. Or any other potion for pranks for that matter." she said simply. "I've got some unfinished business with a certain number of stubborn Slytherins I need to take care of." Sable grinned like a maniac as an idea came to her, and Sirius backed off.

"Fine," he conceded. "The Slytherin dorms are yours. But you had better make me proud." Sable grinned and got up from the couch. 

"Don't worry, I will." She said. "Who you going with Remus?" 

"With you, of course. Someone has to keep you out of trouble." he said with a grin. Sable nodded and stood from the couch. "Let's go then." Remus grinned and Sirius went back up to the dorms to dig out James' invisibility cloak and the Marauders' map. When he came back down, Sable and Remus were gone, and on the little table were about six bottles of an orange-red liquid.

"Sable said that this was extra-concentrated." Peter said. "And whoever the name on the vial is, that's what the voice will sound like." Sirius grinned and picked up one of the bottles that read 'PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL'. He smiled and stuffed the glass tubes into his pockets.

"This is going to be our best prank yet." Sirius said happily. Peter nodded and the two boys went through the portrait hole and pulled the cloak on over their heads..

Sable and Remus left Peter in the Gryffindor Common Room with the instructions on how to use the voice alteration potion. She also made Peter promise that they would at least look for the journal. He reassured her that they would. They climbed back through the hidden portrait hole behind the stairs and quickly made their way back down to her room. When they stepped out of the tunnel and into her room, Remus frowned as realization hit him.

"Um, Sable, how do you plan on getting into the Slytherin Common Room without being seen?" He asked. "You don't have an invisibility cloak." Sable smiled and began to walk across her room and into her lab. Remus followed and waited for her to answer him.

"We don't need one." she said. "There are other ways to go undetected. At least to the eyes." Remus looked skeptical, but said nothing. Sable quickly pulled out an old leather bag and began to put different vial of her potions in the bag. She then grabbed one and handed it to Remus. She grabbed an identical one and turned to the boy with a grin. "Drink up, Moony." Remus looked at the liquid a little skeptically.

"What's it do." he asked. Sable looked back, feigning insultment.

"You don't trust me, Remus. I feel so cheated." she said with a grin. Remus rolled his eyes and nodded.

"I know you." he said simply. "That's reason enough not to trust you sometimes." Sable nodded and smiled.

"It's an invisibility potion." she said, "It keeps the drinker from being detected by human eyesight." 

"How long does it last?" he asked, fingering the tube.

"About two hours." she said, "After that, you slowly begin to fade back in. But I think we can do what we need to in two hours. If not, we'll just drink some more." She opened the vial and put it to her lips. With one gulp the vial was empty and she was placing it back on the shelf. Remus looked a little scared, but drank the liquid down quickly. There was no taste to it. In fact, it was like swallowing a tube of tap water.

"How do we know we're invisible?" he asked.

"Take a look in the mirror." she said. He moved to a nearby wall where a small mirror was hung, expecting to see his reflection. But there was nothing. All he saw was the wall of potions ingredients behind him and on the other side of the room. He turned back to Sable and grinned.

"Wicked."

"Isn't it, though? We can see each other, but no one else can see us. It comes in handy sometimes." she said sweetly. "Now let's go before it begins to wear off. I don't fancy being caught in the Slytherin's territory when we start to come back." Remus nodded and slowly walked back through the lab and back into her bedroom. They entered into the tunnel and followed it down until it forked out to the four different directions of the House Common Rooms. They took the third one from the right and followed it down. The pathway suddenly began to get a little slippery as they headed down into the depths of the dungeons. 

They finally stopped at the entrance into the Common Room Remus slowly opened to portrait hole, finding that the portrait was hidden behind a set of stairs just like in Gryffindor Tower. He smiled and pulled Sable out of the tunnel. They quickly made their way through the maze of plush, leather couches and the Slytherin students lounging in them. Sable looked around frantically for any sign of her journal, but it was to no avail. The book was no where in sight. Remus tugged her shirt and pointed to the dormitories. She nodded and followed him down the staircase. They came to a split in the staircase, the boys dorms to the left and the girls to the right. Since there was no one in sight, Sable leaned in to whisper to Remus.

"I want the boy's dorms." she said. Remus shook his head.

"Only if I go with you." he said. " I don't want you to run into anyone." She nodded and they made their way to the seventh years boys dorms. There were a few run-ins with some of the younger students, but the two intruding Gryffindors got away without anyone the wiser. They stopped at the last two doors of the hallway. Remus slowly opened one and peaked inside. He grinned and gave Sable a thumbs up signal. She glanced behind them to make sure that no one else was coming. With the coast clear, she entered the room and quietly shut the door behind them. Remus was digging around the room, trying to find out who dormed in there when Sable saw a picture of Sedera Walsh near the bed closest to her. She walked over and grinned. Cunningham was in the picture with her.

"Remus!" she whispered loudly. "This is Cunningham's dorm room." A smile spread across Remus' face as he saw the picture. "Who does he room with?"

"Bellos, Marks, and Vedreene." Remus said, grinning happily. "Perfect." He quickly walked across the room as Sable began to dig out various potions from her bag. Remus grabbed a vial of the voice alteration potion and dumped it into a pitcher of water that was near the window sill. He then took out a few vials of the _Permanent Sticky-Goo _and poured it into various wardrobes and shoes. After a few minutes, he was done. And the four boys would be coming out of the dorms tomorrow with sticky robes and the Grey Lady's high, whispery voice.

Sable nodded and motioned towards the door. She had searched the desks while he was doing his dirty work, looking for her journal. She finally gave up and pulled out her wand, using a summoning charm. Nothing.

"It's not in here. Let's go." she said quietly. Remus nodded and made for the door, opening it slowly. Once again, there was no one in the doorway. The two culprits shut the door and went to the next one. Remus opened it and Sable watched to make sure no one was coming. They entered the dorm and Remus and Sable broke out into identical grins of ecstacy. 

One side of the room was covered in books, notebooks and Quidditch gear, while the other one was neat and clean. The desks were placed near the green clad beds and showed the identities of the rooms occupants, Severus Snape and Cody Flint. Sable began to dig around in her bag again, thoughts of her journal temporarily forgotten. 

"I've got Snape." Remus said.

"Fine." she said testily, "But Flint's mine." They pulled out various vials of potion and quickly began to dispense them around the room. Remus filled the wardrobes with the invisible form of the _Permanent Sticky-Goo _while Sable filled Flint's bed with an itching potion that dried quickly to leave no evidence of the liquid. She then pulled out a very special concentration of the voice alteration potion. She dumped it in the pitcher by his bed and grinned. _'That'll teach him to mess with me.'_ she thought. Remus glanced up and noticed that she seemed to be quite enthralled with her work. He took out his wand and did the summoning charm for her journal. The top drawer of Snape's desk flew open and the book landed safely in Remus' hands. _'I'm going to kill that bastard.'_ he thought. He took the book over to Sable and tapped her shoulder. As she turned, her eyes were fixed on Remus' hands.

"You found it." she said happily. Remus nodded and she gave him a hug. "Thank you, Remus." 

"It's not a problem." he said.

"Where was it?"

"In Snape's desk." Sable blanched and looked away. She had a feeling that he might have been the culprit, but she had given him the benefit of the doubt. She tucked the book in her bag and smiled at Remus.

"You finish up in here, Remus." she said. "I've got one other dorm to visit tonight."

"Who?" he asked. "Do I need to come?"

"No, it's in the girl's wing." she said. "I'll meet you back inside the portrait when I'm done." Remus nodded and smiled.

"Be careful getting out of here." he said. "The snakes should be coming to their dorms about now." 

"I'll be okay." she said with a smile. "But I can't say the same for the one I'm going after." He grinned and she left silently out of the room.

Half an hour later, Sable met Remus in the portrait hole. She was grinning like the Cheshire cat and he suddenly became worried. He had almost been caught by Flint when he came out of the room. The Slytherin Quidditch captain must have been returning from a late night snog, because his hair was a mess and he looked quite tired. Remus had frowned at the sight and shook his head. _'Poor girl.'_ he thought.

"Happy hunting?" he asked quietly.

"If you only knew." she said cheekily, "If you only knew."

"Who was it that you went after?" Remus asked as they began to ascend the tunnel back into her rooms. Sable just smiled and winked at him.

"You should find out in the morning." she answered him.

"You're not going to tell me?" he asked incredously. "You know you owe me for letting you off the hook today. I could use that against you. You owe me big time, missy." Sable smiled and shook her head.

"Now why would you want to do that when a little patience will give you the answer?" she asked. "It's already past midnight as it is. You'll find out in the morning at breakfast." Remus grabbed her by the waist and pinned her against the wall.

"That's all fine and dandy," he said, "but I'm not a patient person. Now who was it?" Sable laughed at him and threw a useless punch at him.

"You'll find out in the morning." she said again.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" he asked.

"I thought we already established that?" she asked innocently. Remus just shook his head and they walked up the tunnel and into the main branch that led to Sable's rooms.

"Do you think Sirius and Pete are finished yet?" she asked as they dropped down into her room.

"Nah, once they get started with something like this, they don't stop." he said. "They should be back in about an hour or so." Sable nodded and yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, at least we got the journal back." she said. 

"Do you think Snape read it?" he asked.

"Well, I don't think he was just looking at it for his own health. And it's unlocked, so he figured out how to break the locking spell on it." she answered. "I just wish he was as dumb as he looks." She looked down at the book and sighed. "Remus, if he finds out about the Celtic potion book, I could be in serious trouble." Remus stood up and gave her a friendly hug.

"I think everything will be okay." he said. "I mean, he already knows about me being a wolf, and the others being Animgi. What else could there possibly be in there?" Sable just shook her head.

"Well, I talk about my parents a lot in there." she admitted. "And I wrote about a lot of things I've been thinking about since I came back to school."

"Like what?" Remus asked, curious as to what she had been thinking.

"Things I don't want anyone else to know about." she said quietly.

"Not even me?" he asked. "I wouldn't laugh, you know that."

"I know." she said. "But I still don't want anyone to know, even you."

"I see." he said playfully. "You're trying to be the mystery woman now!!!" Sable looked at him like he was crazy.

"Remus.. You're nuts!" she said.

"Probably, but it's never been clinically verified.....well, not yet that is." he said. Sable laughed and walked over to her wardrobe, pulling out a big shirt and some shorts to sleep in.

"Well, I think you've lost it wolf-boy." she said simply. She pulled her shoes off and sat on her bed. 

"If it helps any, I think you are too." he said. "Bitch." Sable looked over to him and frowned.

"That was unnecessary, Remus." she said, seriously thinking she had said something wrong. "I know I can be a pain some times. But really, must you use that word to describe me?" Remus smiled at her hurt expression. He had only meant it playfully. He had been hoping she would catch the underlying meaning, obviously she hadn't.

"I meant that in a good way, Sable." he said. "You know what a bitch is anyway, don't you?"

"Yeah, someone who is a total and complete prat." she said. "Basically the female version of Cody Flint." Remus laughed and nodded his head. _'She really doesn't like him, does she?'_ he thought.

"That's close," he said, "but I was talking about the other definition." Sable looked at him curiously, then her eyes widened into big, violet pools of surprise.

"I am not a dog, Remus Jason Lupin!!" she said, throwing a pillow at him in retaliation. Remus smiled and ducked the pillow.

"You are just as much a dog as I am, missy!" he said. "You forget you are pure-blooded wolf; I'm only an infected one. I was born human. You weren't." He ducked as another pillow came flying his way.

"I am NOT a female dog in heat!!" she yelled.

"You sure about that?" he teased.

"Remus Lupin, get out of here before I do something drastic!" she said.

"Like what?" He prodded. Sable stopped for a minute when he started laughing at her. She picked up another pillow and threw it at him.

"You were doing that just to get a rise out of me, weren't you?" she asked. He nodded and Sable felt like kicking herself. "You.....you.....you....."

"At a loss for words, dear?" he teased. "That's a first."

"Shut up, Remus." she said. 

"What if I don't want to?" 

"Then I'll make you." she said, getting up from her bed and walking over to him.

"How?" he asked. "You can't make me do anything I don't want to." She sat down on his lap and laid her head on his shoulder.

"But, Remus, you'd like to do what I tell you to." she whispered. Remus tensed and wondered what she was getting at. She said nothing, but began to rub the back of his neck with slow, gently strokes. He was silent for a minute, enjoying the touch of another human. He put his hands on her back and began to rub in little circles. Just when he was starting to feel relaxed, she jumped up with a triumphant grin and looked at him.

"I told you I'd shut you up." she said smugly.

"You little bitch." he growled, the relaxing fog clearing from his mind.

Tisk, tisk, Remus." she said. "I already told you I'm not the one in heat. However, I'm not so sure about you." 

"That was cruel, girl. You just don't do that to a guy, even if you are his best friend." Remus said.

"Sorry." she said sincerely. Laughing at the expression on his face. "And I didn't know I was you're best friend."

"You're not." he stated simply. _'You're a lot more than that, but I can't tell you that.'_ he thought. Sable seemed a little taken back. She looked down at the floor and blushed, not meeting his eyes directly.

"Well, whatever I am," she said. "I'm fine with it. As long as I'm not your enemy." Remus smiled and nodded. She had just saved him from possibly embarrassing himself even worse. He looked back up and grinned. "Now, get out of here. I've got to change clothes."

"Why can't I stay?" he pouted. "It's not like I haven't seen the difference between a guy and a girl before." Sable shook her head. 

"Well, you see, Remus the thing is.... I am not used to stripping down in front of random guys sitting in my bedroom............. at least not on a Friday morning before classes. I usually wait for the weekend." she dead panned.

"Oh, great, so now I'm some random guy?" he asked jokingly. 

"Well, what am I to you?" she asked. Remus stood still, not sure how to take the unexpected question. 

"Well...uh...I'm....you see...." Sable nodded and grinned.

"That's what I thought." she said, rolling her eyes. Remus glared at her, but her smile was contagious. "When you tell me what I am, then you'll get an answer from me about the random guy question. Since I'm obviously not put in the 'friend' category anymore."

Remus frowned and stood from the chair.

"I didn't mean it like that, Sable." he said quietly. The ebony-haired girl nodded and gave a weak grin. 

"I know." she said. "Now scram, mister. I'm going to bed." Remus shook his head and climbed into the portrait hole. He turned back to look at Sable and grinned.

"Hey, Sable, one last question."

"Hmmm?"

"Who was the girl you went after in the Slytherin dorms?" The next thing he knew, there was a pillow being aimed at is face. 

"REMUS! GET OUT! YOU INFURIATING LITTLE PRAT! I AM NOT TELLING YOU!!!" She yelled.

"I take it you're still not telling me?" he asked innocently. Another pillow was thrown at him and he shook his head. "Guess not." He ducked into the tunnel and grinned at himself. "Everything is back to normal now." he said. _' Not quite the same as before, but close enough.'_ he thought. He climbed up to tunnel and came out into the Gryffindor Common Room. There was no one else in there and he sat down on the couch to ponder which category he had now put Sable in, since it obviously wasn't just 'friend' anymore.

***Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Dungeons***

Severus Snape peered into the cauldron and smirked. _'It has begun.'_ he thought. He shut the book on his left, _Most Potente Potions_, and stirred the potion one more time. _'With this potion, I will be able to destroy everything those two Gryffindors have worked so hard to accomplish. I will have Sabriel Robbins so far down into the black pits of depression that she won't know what happened to her. And Remus Lupin will be the one to help me, whether or not he realizes it at the moment._' Snape looked up to where Flint had just left only a half hour ago_._

He shook his head in annoyance. Flint seemed to be against the plan he had come up with to lure the girl into their hands. The plan was simple enough. Use Lupin to depress Sable. It was a proven fact that he was the quickest way to bring her down, so he used it. 

The liquid in the cauldron began to simmer, and he added the boomslang skin as required. _'Just a little while longer, and you will be a follower of Voldemort, my dear.'_ he thought. _'And he will reward me beyond my expectations when I hand you over to him.'_ Flint had left earlier that evening, and would probably be in bed by now. The black headed boy grinned and left the cauldron, deciding to actually get some sleep for the first time in a few days.

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A/N - Okay. Now that we've got a prank in the making, things should get a little more interesting. Anyhow, remember to review. I love reviews. They're like chocolate for me. Later.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer - It's not mine, never was.

**__**

Ookie dookie. I hope you guys are enjoying the wonderful trials and tribulations of the fabulous Marauders. But first, some special thank you's to my reviewers.

A/N - And without further ado, I present, the next chapter in Wolf's Bane. Enjoy. 

MARAUDER'S GONE WILD!!!

The next morning at breakfast, the Marauders and the two girls were sitting at the Gryffindor table waiting for the prank fest to begin. Lily was slightly peeved with Sirius and Peter since she had caught them in the Hufflepuff dormitories the night before. They had been walking up the stairs into the boys dorm and Lily and seen the back of Peter's leg as they went up the stairs. Since Sirius was so much taller, Peter's leg had been protruding out from under the cloak. She had immediately pulled James out of the Common Room and chewed him out about the boys being in the other House Common Rooms. James had played stupid, not wanting to get on her bad side. But it had no point in it. After they had went back to the Gryffindor Common Room later on, Lily pulled James up to the dorms where Sirius and Peter were, along with Remus, and chewed the whole lot out for sneaking out of the Common Rooms after curfew. After Remus had proclaimed his innocence in the matter, Lily allowed him to put a silencing spell around his bed and go back to sleep. He had pulled his curtains shut with a grin and winked at the other three boys in the room, who only grimaced and flipped him off. Lily didn't need to know that he and Sable had pranked the Slytherin dorms. She would find out soon enough. So, at the time being, Lily was only speaking to Remus and Sable, and pointedly ignoring the rest of the boys.

When the whole of Slytherin House was seated at the table for breakfast, as well as the other houses, James asked Lily to come with him so they could talk. Lily, expecting an explanation got up to leave with her boyfriend. Sirius and Remus looked on with excited eyes as the two Head students left the Hall.

"You guys ready?" Sirius asked wickedly. 

"After you, Pads." Remus said.

"Now, gentlemen." Peter said wickedly, "You know ladies go first." He looked over at Sable and grinned. She smiled and pulled her wand out of her robes.

"Thank you, Peter." she said sweetly. "I'm glad someone has remembered their manners around a lady." Sirius snickered and shook his head.

"Who said you were a lady?" he scoffed. Sable looked a little confused, but said nothing.

"This, my friends, is why it is never good to get on my bad side." she said evilly. She pointed her wand over to the Slytherin tables and whispered an incantation. The boys watched as Cody Flint began to stiffen up, like a cement statue. He was in the process of putting his fork in his mouth when he froze solid. He seemed to by completely stuck in the position he was in. The other students looked on with confusion, but Sable muttered another incantation and their voices began to waiver into other octaves and pitches. She smiled as Vedreene, Marks, Bellos, and Cunninghams' voices began to raise up about three octaves higher than normal. Even across the hum-drum of the Great Hall she could pick up on the higher pitched voices that matched the Ravenclaw's ghost, the Grey Lady. She smiled and giggled. Not only was Flint stuck in the last position he had taken, but so was the majority of the Slytherin Quidditch team. The Slytherin Quidditch Captain was trying to worm around the seat. The itching potion had taken affect.

By now, the entire Slytherin table was in an uproar. Sable quickly said the last of her incantations, and a girl's scream could be heard across the Hall. The boys looked down the row of students and saw a very sticky, very mad, very FURRY, Sedera Walsh. The girl had grown humongous elephant ears and was covered in a bright, red fur that covered every inch of her skin. Her cloak had been charmed to flash the Gryffindor House colors, and her hair was full of _Permanent Sticky-Goo_, making it stand out on end. Sable laughed and almost fell out of her chair. The boys were shocked and soon joined in the laughing.

"You guys had better activate your charms soon," she muttered, "McGonagall is already on her way down." The boys looked up and saw that the deputy headmistress was indeed threading her way through the throng of students and to the head of the Gryffindor table where they sat. The boys nodded and waited until another of Sedera's cries pierced the racket to activate their own charms. Instantly, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams were frozen in place by the _Permanent Sticky Goo. _The altered voices were quite hilarious. The boys were yelling with the high voices of the ladies, and the girls were sounding like that had taken an overly large dose of testosterone. The other houses immediately noticed what had happened to their members and turned to face the Gryffindor tables, where no one was altered from their normal appearance. 

"PETTIGREW! LUPIN! POTTER! BLACK!!!! YOUR GOING TO REGRET THIS WHEN WE GO AGAINST YOU NEXT WEEK!!!! YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE UP NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO POUND YOU INTO THE GROUND!!!!!" yelled a very angry Slytherin. Sable looked hurt and pouted.

"What about me?" she asked, "I helped with the prank. I feel left out."

"It's alright, Sable." Sirius reassured. "We'll give you credit when it's due to you." Sable smiled and nodded..

"Oh, by the way," Peter said, "You had nothing to do with these pranks last night as far as we're concerned." Sable shrugged her shoulders.

"That's fine," she said, "I've had my fun. Now you guys can take the rap for it." The boys rolled their eyes and searched around for their head of house; they didn't have to look far.

By now, Professor McGonagall had reached the head of the table where they were sitting. She did not look like a happy lady. She strode up to the snickering students and glared at them, however, her glare was not directed in Sable's immediate direction.

"I want all of you to come with me." she said sternly, "This instant!" 

"But....Professor...." Sirius began to plead.

"Hush it, Black!" she snorted. "Where's Potter and Lily?" 

"Um, Professor," Sable said quietly, "James and Lily left just a little while ago. I think they were fighting and they decided to talk it through before classes started today." Professor McGonagall's eyes seemed to soften at the girl's voice.

"Will you please go find them for me, Ms. Robbins." Sable nodded and stood from her seat. "Tell them that I require Mr. Potter's presence in my office immediately. They can settle their dispute at another time."

"Yes, professor." she said, rising from the table. She walked a few steps away and turned back to look over the hall. It was in total chaos. The only other people who were seemingly calm were Arabella Figg and Amanda Keiss, the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Prefects. Everyone else was either laughing their heads off yelling at the top of their lungs. She glanced back at the Gryffindor table were McGonagall was laying into the boys with unleashed anger. Peter was cringing in fright, Remus was trying to hold back a smile, and Sirius was acting like he was spacing out on her. She caught Remus' eye and she smiled at him. His reservation broke and he cracked a smile. The next thing she heard was McGonagall's voice over the din of the crowd.

"IS THERE SOMETHING FUNNY ABOUT THIS SITUATION, MR. LUPIN??!!" she bellowed. Remus snapped back to attention and shook his head. Sable smiled and went out of the Hall, searching for the voice of an angry Lily.

She walked down the corridor closest to the Great Hall and heard the thud of something hitting a wall when she passed a door. _'I sure hope that wasn't James' dead body hitting the wall.'_ she thought. She stopped and opened the door, expecting to see the comatose body of James Potter on the floor. Instead, she found the two Head students snogging each other senseless against the wall. Sable wanted to laugh, but she decided that McGonagall would be even less happier to find the two Heads in this sort of compromising situation. She cleared her throat and they jumped apart, faces flushed and hands straightening out their clothes.

"Um, I hate to break up your little make up snog," she said with a grin, "But, uh, Drill Sergeant McGonagall is on the warpath at the moment. And, um, Private Potter,.......... your dead. Along with the others." James shrugged and gave Lily a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the classroom with a sigh. 

"Thanks, Sable, for ruining the best morning I've had in a while." he muttered, walking out of the door.

"Um, James." Sable said, beginning to grin like a cat. "I don't think you want to walk into McGonagall's office with Lily's lipstick on your face, do you?" James colored slightly and used the hem of his robe to wipe off his face, efficiently getting rid of the tell-tale marks. He muttered a his thanks and walked out of the door. Sable turned to the flustered Head Girl and grinned.

"You guys still fighting?" she asked with a smile. Lily blushed again and shook her head. "I didn't think so." Lily let a little smile go and began to straighten out her rumpled clothing.

"Is McGonagall really mad?" she asked. 

"Mad enough to yell at the others in front of the entire Hall." she said. Lily looked surprised.

"She never admonishes the students in front of their peers." Lily said quickly.

"Well, she did this time." Sable said. 

"I told James time and time again." she said. "No more pranks. But does he listen?"

"Does any male of this species listen to us?" Sable asked rhetorically. Lily thought for a second then nodded.

"Good point." she conceded. 

"Besides, Lily, James didn't do the prank. He was with you last night, looking for my journal. He didn't have time to do anything." Lily looked thoughtful, then suspicious.

"How'd you know that?" she asked. Sable thought quick and came up with the best thing she could.

"Remus told me that you woke them all up last night, yelling at everyone but him." She said quickly. Lily looked scandalized and nodded.

"Yeah, I got a little out of hand." she admitted. " As James so quickly pointed out to me."

"I think he was getting his point across rather well, don't you?" she teased.

"I just don't want him to loose his Head Boy badge because of some childish prank." Lily said.

"Look, don't worry about it." Sable said. "Remember what happened last time? McGonagall actually praised them for the prank." Lily smiled and adjusted her bag.

"I remember." she said. "Well, there's nothing we can do for them right now. Let's get to class before we're late." Sable grinned and summoned her bag from the Great Hall with her wand. The two girls walked down the hallway and to their first class, even though they knew it would begin late because of the commotion in the Great Hall.

__

****Later that same day****

Sable looked up from the table she was sitting at to see two different girls approaching her, Arabella Figg and Amanda Keiss. They didn't look to upset, considering the mornings events. When they got to Sable, they smiled at each other and waved.

"Arabella, Amanda, how are you guys?" Sable asked. The girls smiled and nodded.

"Alright." Amanda said.

"I'm fine." Arabella answered happily.

"Is there something I can do for you guys?" she asked nervously. She didn't want them to know she was the one who had helped with the prank earlier.

"Actually, I think you can." Amanda said. "I'm looking for Peter. Have you seen him?" Sable frowned and shook her head.

"Um, I think that he and the other boys were sentenced to death by cleaning by Professor McGonagall for the prank they pulled this morning." she said. "Remus told me they had to scrub the Slytherin dungeons with toothbrushes for a week, no magic." The other two girls paled and grimaced.

"Why don't ya'll have a seat," Sable said. "I could use some company over here." They pulled out the bench and sat down.

"You mean to tell me that Black's got himself another detention?" Arabella asked. 

"I'm afraid so." Sable said. "What's the count now?"

"One thousand one hundred and thirty-two, I think." Amanda said.

"Thirty-four, actually." Arabella corrected her. "Sirius keeps it all wrote down for himself to remember. I think he's going for the school record of detentions by one student."

"Well, I think he's accomplished it." Sable said. Arabella nodded and Amanda nodded. "Did you guys want me to give them a message when I see them tonight, if I see them tonight?" she asked. 

"Actually, will you give Peter a note for me?" Amanda asked shyly. 

"Sure, no problem." Sable said. Amanda nodded and quickly wrote down a note on a piece of parchment. She handed it to Sable and smiled.

"Thanks, Sable." she said. "I've got to go, my next class starts in a few minutes. I'll see you guys later." The girl smiled and walked out of the Hall rather quickly.

"Later."

"Bye, Amanda."

Sable looked over at Arabella and shrugged.

"I wonder what she wanted with Peter?" Sable asked. 

"I have a feeling it's the same thing I want with Sirius." she said with a smile.

"I don't get it."

"Look at this." Arabella handed the other girl a piece of folded up parchment. She opened it and recognized Sirius' handwriting. Sable tried to hold in a laugh as she read the note through. _'Talk about Sirius at his most egotistical, self-centered, and chauvinistic.'_ she thought.

__

Bella,

I was thinking that I would offer you a once in a life-time opportunity that any other female in this school would die for. I'm only doing this because I know how picky you are, and it's for your own good (as well as the general health of the Hogwarts' population.). How about you and me going to the Halloween Ball together. It's going to be a riot, pranks galore!!! Besides, I need to make sure that no one else spikes the punch.............Well, besides ME that is. And I know you were thinking about it, don't deny it. I know how that little brain of yours works. It's too much like mine, and that's why I need to keep an eye on you all night. If that punch gets too loaded, no one is going to make it to their dorms that night. What do you think? Want to go on the arm of the best looking guy at Hogwarts? It's a chance you'll never get again. And I can guarantee it will be for your own, personal worthwhile. 

Sirius

She looked up at Arabella and smiled.

"Well, that's one way of asking you to the Halloween Ball." she said with a grin. Arabella grimaced and took the note back.

"Have you ever met a more self-centered prat?" she asked. 

"Um, come to think of it............no." Sable said with a smile. Arabella grinned and looked back down at the note. Sable noticed the look of indecision and closed her book softly. "Do you want to go with him?" she asked. Arabella grinned.

"Yeah, I think I do." she said. "It'll be loads of fun. Sirius and I always have fun when we're together." 

"Then go, already. I know for a fact that he's turned down every one of the Gryffindor girls who've asked him. He even turned down all the others." She said.

"You're kidding me?" Arabella asked.

"Nope. I was sitting there when he did it, half the time." Sable said. 

"I think I'll talk to him later." she said. "Lay down some ground rules." Sable smiled and began to laugh.

"You know, next to me and Lily, you're the only other girl he will listen actually take seriously at times. No pun intended." she said with a grimace.

"Really?" Arabella asked. Sable nodded and smiled. 

"Really. I think it would be good for you guys to go together. Besides, I've heard that you've turned down a fair share of guys who have asked you to go." Arabella colored slightly, but said nothing. "Were you waiting for one person to ask you?" It was obvious that Arabella and Sirius were good friends, but Sirius' actions as of lately had changed when he was around her. Sable had thought he liked the Ravenclaw, but she wasn't sure. Now, Arabella's reaction to her accusation put a lid on the case.

"Not really," she said, "I just didn't like the guys who were asking me." 

"Liar," Sable taunted, "You were waiting to see if Sirius would ask you. Go ahead, admit it. You know I'm right."

"I was not." Arabella said firmly. Sable chuckled and shook her head.

"Yes, you were, whether you want to admit it or not." Sable said.

"Well, who are you going with?" Arabella asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Remus." Sable said easily. Arabella frowned.

"I thought you two were fighting." she said.

"We straightened that mess out." she said. "And the guilty party paid her dues this morning." Arabella looked a little skeptical.

"So you're the one that turned Slytherin's bitch into a red haired elephant?" she laughed. Sable nodded. "We had a bet going on that it was Remus, no one expected you."

"Don't tell anyone about it. The boys are basking in their glory right now." she smiled.

"Are you and Remus together or something?" Arabella asked. Sable tried to hid the color that was rising in her face.

"No we're not. We're just going to the ball as friends." She said. Arabella looked skeptical, but said nothing. 

"Well, I hope Peter was asking Amanda." Arabella said, "I'd hate for him to be the only one without a date.

"I'm sure that's what it was about." Sable said. "She was holding a piece of parchment in her hand when she walked over." Arabella nodded and glanced up at the clock on the wall.

"I've got to go, Sable, but tell Sirius I'll be where we usually meet tonight if he wants to talk to me." Sable looked puzzled, but said nothing.

"Okay. I'll be sure to tell him for you." 

"Thanks a load." Arabella said, standing from the bench and going out of the doorway of the Great Hall. Sable shook her head as she watched the girl leave. _'Sirius must really like her if he lost his nerve to talk to her._' she thought, _'Usually, when he goes after a girl, you can't shut him up. But then again, I don't think he's chased any of the girls since school started. Wonder what happened to him over the summer?'_ Sable shook her head, remembering the story Lily had told her about Arabella spending a week of the summer break at Sirius' house babysitting his little brother while his parents were gone out of town. _'Wonder what happened then??'_ she grinned.

__

****That Night in the Gryffindor Common Room****

Sable and Lily were sitting in front of the fireplace doing homework when a very excited Sirius bound through the portrait hole. Sable looked over at Lily, who only shrugged her shoulders. Sirius nearly ran over a few of the younger years in an attempt to get to the girls. He bodily pushed a fourth year out of the way, and ran over one of Gryffindor's Quidditch Chaser's, Michael Bell.

"Sirius, is something on fire?" Sable asked cautiously. The black haired boy shook his head and smiled like a mad man.

"Where's James?" he panted. "I need to find James." 

"He left to go down to the Pitch a few minutes after you left to go see Arabella." Lily said. "Is something wrong?" Sirius shook his head and yelped.

"No, nothing's wrong." he said, turning around quickly. He ran out of the portrait hole and quickly slammed it shut behind him. Sable grinned at his retreating figure.

"What was that all about?" Lily asked. "I haven't seen him that excited since James became the Quidditch captain last year." Sable smiled and nodded.

"I think it's because Padsy has found a date for the Halloween Ball." Sable said. Lily looked surprised.

"Who?"

"Guess." Sable said. Lily seemed to concentrate hard for a moment.

"Michelle Polk?"

"Nope."

"Samantha Davis?"

"Nope."

" Priscilla Copieer?"

"GOD, NO!!" Sable shrieked. 

"Well who is it then.?" Sable smiled and looked over at the Head Girl.

"Arabella Figg." she said. 

"Bella??" Lily asked. "You're kidding me." Sable shook her head and related the whole secret note passage during the fracas in the Great Hall this morning. She also told her about Peter asking Amanda Keiss. 

"Do you think Amanda accepted?" Lily asked. About that time, the portrait hole opened up to reveal a very fluster, but happy Peter Pettigrew. The blond boy took no notice of his surroundings as he happily climbed up the stairs with a goofy grin plastered on his face. Sable looked over at lily and snickered.

"I do believe she did, Lily." she said happily. "I do believe she did." 

The two dateless Marauders were dateless no longer! Arabella had accepted Sirius' invitation to go as his date, as had Amanda by Peter's. The two boys were in a good mood all weekend long. Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, and Sable spent the weekend catching up on any last minute homework they hadn't done. It would be time for them to take the N.E.W.T.S. at the end of the year, and Lily suddenly seemed to think that they needed to spend as much time as possible doing homework. Sable quickly became tired of the 'all work and no play' attitude that Lily had adopted, and she wasn't the only one. After telling the girl that she had some important business to attend to in her room, Sable was able to get away from the vicious cycle of studying Lily had implemented on her and the boys. It was not long after she left the Gryffindor Common Room that she heard a knock at the portrait hole in her bedroom. She undid the locking charm and Remus stepped out of the hole. Sable smiled and nodded.

"You decided to give up on the studying, too?" she asked. Remus nodded and grimaced.

"I think Lils has lost her mind!!" he said. "We never study that much! It's against our religion!" Sable grinned and sat down at a desk she had transfigured from a spare chair she had found in one of the storage supply closets. Remus flopped down into another chair and looked up at his friend.

"So, now that we've escaped Lily, what can we do for the rest of this lovely evening?" he asked. 

"Don't know." she said. "You have any ideas?" Remus grinned and nodded.

"Actually, I had our next prank in mind, and I wanted to hear what you had to say about it." he said. " I couldn't talk to the boys about it because Lily was sitting right there, but I think they will like it."

"Who's the target this time?"

"Who else?" Remus asked.

"Slytherins?" Sable muttered. "I should have known." She turned and looked over at him with a grin. "What's the plan?"

"Well, the boys and I were thinking about pranking them Friday the night of the Quidditch match. They are already going to get whipped in the game, so I thought they should get a sort of .............consolation prize............... from the winning team." he said. Sable smiled and pulled out a notebook and a quill.

"Well, thank you, mastermind of the Marauder's pranking ability.." she said with a smile. " Anyway, I had forgotten about the match. But I do like the idea of giving them a surprise present aster the game. It might bring them some good morale after such a horrid defeat." She snickered and looked over at Remus, who was smiling also.

"I knew I picked the right person to talk to." he said. Sable smiled and they got down to the nitty-gritty of planning the Marauder's next prank. 

The rest of the week passed quickly. As the weekend drew nearer, the tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin began to grow. The inter-house rivalry was getting completely out of hand, especially after Flint tried to hex Sirius behind his back after one of the classes they shared. Because of all the commotion, Remus had taken to studying down in Sable's lab while she worked on her various projects. It actually helped since the Common Room was usually now housing rowdy groups of Quidditch fans from the end of classes until it was curfew. The loud noises and chit-chat made it impossible to study in there. The library was not much better, and Pince would make enough trouble on her own. So the only place Remus had left to study was with Sable. 

The game was only two days before November's full moon, so Remus fought the whole time he was within a mile range of Sable to keep his cool and not let the animal instincts that were beginning to emerge take over. The night before the game, Remus found Sable hunched over a rather thick book. When he entered into her room, she casually shut the book and replaced it on the shelves. He said nothing, but noticed that she didn't seem normal. Luckily for them, the Professors were gracious enough not to assign any extra homework over the weekend due to the Quidditch game on Saturday.

That evening, after Sable had finished helping him with a particularly rough potion, they worked to translate a few ore chapters in the Celtic potions book. While they worked, they exchange stories about their separate years at different schools. Surprisingly enough, Sable found out that Remus had been a Prefect the year before, but had turned down the appointment this year due to the growing severity of the lunar changes. Remus in turn, found out that Sable's parents were working to find who was responsible for the random attacks that had been going on. However, he was shocked to find that it had been a while since she had lat heard from them. On and on the stories went, and by dinner time, the two teens were getting moody. The coming full moon was starting to affect the both of them. Soon enough, they would probably be at each other's throats because of the shortened nerve span. _'Maybe we won't try to kill each other.'_ she though as she shut the portrait hole behind her. _'Then again, this is me and Remus we're talking about here. There's no way we'll be able to stay calm for the next three days.'_ She threw her books carelessly to one side and jumped on her bed, willing herself to succumb to the deep slumber that threatened to over take her senses. 

**__**

A/N - Hey everyone. How are ya'll doing? Good I hope. Anyway, how'd this chappy sound? Good I hope. I know it's a little short, so that's why I'm going to post one more for all of you guys. Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think. Later.

A/N - I know, I know. There are very few people who actually like Peter , and probably wish he would just keel over. But I couldn't help it. I hate it when someone has to go to a school dance by themselves. It's just lonely when you're by yourself and all your friends are with their 'significant others' (I should know. I didn't even have a date for my junior and senior prom, and it sucked!!) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Leave me a review and tell me what you think. Later. 


	20. Chapter 20

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Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was.

A/N - Alrighty, on with the story. Enjoy peeps. Oh, by the way, I'm warning everyone ahead of time: There is a lengthy description of Sable's costume for the ball in this chapter. Feel free to skip over it. It won't deter from the chapter I promise. I was just asked by someone to write out the description, and there it is. Sorry, later.

MAJOR THANKS TO THE PERSON THAT SENT ME THE COPY OF THIS STORY FROM THE FIRST TIME I POSTED IT. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTS HER NAME MENTIONED, BUT SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS. THANKS TO HER, I'M ABLE TO POST A BUNCH OF CHAPTERS AT ONE TIME, THUS GETTING THIS STORY BACK TO WHERE IT WAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Gowns, Pranks, and Quidditch

Sable and Lily joined the boys at the Gryffindor table the next morning with smiles on their faces. James noticed that they were fairly bouncing off the walls with energy, and found it disturbing. Neither of them were usually morning people. Remus was even curious as to how Sable had amassed so much energy from the time dinner had ended the evening before.

"Uh.. Lily," he asked, "Is everything alright?" Lily smiled and nodded.

"Everything's fine, James; why do you ask?"

"You seem awful happy this morning. You usually don't have this much energy in the morning time."

"She's fine, James." Sable said, "Quit worrying. It's just a small period of hyperactivity before she rides the crimson wave for a week."

"Oh." he answered, catching onto what she was insinuating. They sat down to eat breakfast and Sable noticed that the guys kept glancing over to the Slytherin tables. She dismissed it as rivalry because of the upcoming Quidditch match, and their own nervousness about the prank they were going to pull tonight after the match. But when it continued, she became suspicious. Sirius and James were grinning like children while Peter would unexpectantly break out into laughter for no apparent reason. Remus was the only one acting remotely normal, but she could tell when something was up.

"Alright you four," she said loudly, "What's going on?" Sirius feigned surprise and gave her his most innocent look. Lily was beginning to become suspicious also.

"What are you taking about, Sable? We haven't done anything." he said.

"You're lying to me, Sirius Black." she retorted.

"No I'm not. I'm telling the honest to goodness truth."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am"

"No you're not."

"Yes I am"

"No you're not."

"Yes I am"

"No you're not."

"Yes I am"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not." Sirius blinked in surprise at what had come out of his mouth. Sable smiled and nodded.

"Really guys." Lily said with a frown. "I know you don't like them. But two pranks in a little under three days. Don't you think you're pushing it a little?" No one seemed to be listening to her because they all carried on with the conversations that had been engaged in. 

"Everyone heard him say he was lying. I've got witnesses." Sirius glared at her, but everyone else stifled a chuckle. "Alright, guys, what have the mighty Marauders done this time?" Lily and Sable chuckled at the stricken faces of the boys. _'They're up to something, I know it.'_ Sable said.

"Well, you know how the predominant colors of Slytherin are black, green, and silver?" Sirius said quietly. Sable and Lily nodded, not knowing what was going to happen. "We decided to change it up a little." Lily looked over her shoulder and frowned.

"Uh, fellas they still look the same to me."

"Well, Ms. Evans, the prank should be visible soon. How much time we got left, Moony?" James asked.

"The change should occur in five...four...three...two...one...NOW!" he pointed over to the Slytherin exactly when a bright flash filled the hallway. The students covered their eyes at the blinding flash that had erupted over the Slytherin table. Angry shouts were soon drown out by raucous laughter. Sable rubbed her eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to clear the dots out of her line of vision. When she regained her sight, she quickly looked to the rival table and burst out laughing.

The scene that beheld her was one of obvious delight to the entire school. Each and every Slytherin at the table had been outfitted in a dancing uniform. The girls were wearing gold tutus and ballerina slippers. Their hair had even been turned to golden blonde ringlets. The boys were outfitted in white tights and crimson tunics, complete with dancing shoes.

The looks on the Slytherin faces were priceless. Most of the girls had conjured up mirrors, and were now crying and squalling. The boys were looking completely murderous, in fact a few of them were starting to make their way over to the Gryffindor tables. Sable stifled her un-ladylike laughter for a moment to look at the Marauders. They were all laughing like crazy. Peter had fallen off of the bench as soon as the flash had cleared. Now, he lay on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. James, Sirius, and Remus were grinning, obviously impressed by their own work. 

The entire Hall was in an uproar. Laugher, cursing, insults, wails fo tears, and whistles could be heard. The teachers were on their feet, yelling at the students to calm down. Sable noticed that Dumbledore was trying to hid a smile. Professor Treble, however, was in an outrage. Even his clothes had been changed. He was now decked out in a red tunic, white tights, and a ridiculous wide brimmed hat that had sequins and a large feather on the side of it. . He was glaring pointedly at the head end of the Gryffindor table where Sable, Lily, and the Marauders were sitting.

Everyone calmed down eventually, and the house Heads were down amongst the Hall with their students. Treble was leading the Slytherins into the hospital wing to have the effects removed. As they exited the Hall, more catcalls and whistles were heard. Sable looked around to see if Snape had gotten caught. He had. Sable chuckled at the sight of Snape in tights. _'They've outdone themselves, this time.'_ she thought. She spied McGonagall marching up to the head of the table, glaring like there was no tomorrow.

"I want all four of you to come with me. Right now!!" she said, pointing to the still grinning boys.

"Yes, ma'am." they said, getting up from the table. They gave the girls a quick smile and filed out of the Hall, amid the gales of clapping. Lily turned to Sable and grinned. 

"The Marauders have returned." she said simply. Sable grinned at the boys antics, but her attention was drawn to the air overhead. It had suddenly filled with hundreds of owls of all shapes, sizes and colors. She glanced up quickly, trying to find her own owl amid the pandemonium of other owls. AS the creatures dropped their parcels off to their respective owners, she noticed that her owl was being tailed by a haggle of other ones carrying a rather large package. Two of the owls were familiar, they were her parent's. As the creatures landed in front of her, her breakfast was temporarily forgotten. Lily noticed the large parcels and smiled.

"Bloody Hell, Sable," she said, "Is it your birthday or something?" She motioned to the packages in front of Sable.

"It's not my birthday." Sable said. "These are from my parents, though."

"What is it?" Lily asked, intrigued. Sable shrugged and pulled a letter out of the envelope attached to the smaller box.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, "but five me a minute and I'll tell you." She unfolded the letter and began to scan over it.

__

Dear Baby,

I've got you something I think you may enjoy. When you wrote to me about the Halloween Ball, I immediately recalled an old costume I had seen in a shop here in Bulgaria. Now don't get mad, I'm not going to tell you what to wear, I know better than that!! But I showed your father, and he agreed that it would look wonderful on you. So, we bought the whole thing and sent it to you. Jewelry, mask, shoes, the whole nine yards. It even goes with the Beauty and the Beast theme. Anyways,, try it on and see if you like it (I'm positive you will.) If you don't send us word and we'll bring it back.

Daddy and I want you to know that we love you a whole bunch, and we're sorry we won't be home for Christmas. But, we want you to know we think about you all the time. In fact, your daddy dearest is standing right over my shoulder as I write the. When I told him about the Ball, he almost freaked out. But when I told him you were going with Remus Lupin, he calmed down....(at least a little bit). You know we always took a liking to young Remus. I'm glad you're going with him. You two are too much alike.

I hope you like the costume, baby. Your dad and I have to go now. _But we'll write as often as we can. You know how it gets with this job. Bye, darling._

Love, Mom and Dad

Sable smiled at her parent's thoughtfulness and quickly put the letter back in the envelope. She gathered up the packages and sent the owls off after giving them a treat.

"What was it?" Lily asked.

"It's my costume for the ball. My parents found it and sent it to me."

"What's it look like?" Lily asked.

"I don't know yet. That's why I'm going to the common room to see. I don't want to open it in here in case it is totally embarrassing."

"I'm coming with you. I want to see. Besides, James and I need an idea for a costume. Maybe if I see yours, I'll come up with something." Lily jumped up and led the way out of the Great Hall. The two girls practically ran to the Gryffindor common Room. 

When they got safely in, Sable put the boxes on a nearby table. She unwrapped the box and lifted off the top. Pushing past the tissue paper, she found the front of the dress.

"Oh Merlin, Lily look at this!" she exclaimed. Lily's eyes went wide at the sight of the dress. Sable pulled it out of the box and held it up to her.

The dress was made of white satin. It was fashioned like the Renaissance dresses of old. The square neck line was lined with blue stones, resembling sapphires. The sleeves were made of a gauzy, translucent material and were long and bell shaped. Around the ends of the sleeves, a blue ribbon was interweaved into the material. The bodice of the dress showed a blue diamond that began at the sides of her waist and went up to peak right below the neckline and right above her knees. A small silver wolf head was sewn in the middle of the cross, about where her belly button would have been. The skirt of the dress split about knee length, revealing an underlying layer of the gauzy material from the sleeves. The blue ribbon lined the hem of the dress. Even the train of the dress was made of white satin, lined with the blue ribbon on three sides.

Lily was staring at the dress in amazement. Sable was not sure that her parents were completely sane anymore, sending her a dress like this.

"I think my parents have lost their minds." Sable said quietly.

"Hey, I wouldn't complain." Lily said. "That's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen." Sable shook her head in disbelief and carefully laid the dress on the table. "What's in the other boxes." Sable took one of the boxes in her hands and shook it carefully.

"I think it is the stuff that goes with the dress. The jewelry and shoes and stuff. Let's open it and find out." Sable handed her one of the boxes and proceeded to open one herself.

Out of the box she opened, Sable pulled out the mask that matched the dress. It was almost a shiny silver color, lined with alternating crystal and blue stones that the dress had. Two blue ribbons hung from the sides of the mask. It was small, and would only cover the top half of her face. She laid the mask to the side of the dress and looked back over to Lily, who had pulled out a pair of heeled sandals that matched the mask. 

"I think your parents were in an all or nothing mood, Sable." Lily said enviously. Sable only shook her head and grinned.

"We've still got three more boxes to go. Grab one and help me open it." She threw a box at Lily and proceeded to open the next one.

Inside the box lay a set of silver jewelry. A silver wolf lay in the middle of the box, with a pair of silver and sapphire to the left and a silver and sapphire bracelet on the right. Lily's box held some make-up that Mrs. Robbins had picked up to go with the outfit. Silver glitter, blue eyeshadow, and other matching cosmetics were in the box.

"One more to go, Sable." Lily said. "Open it, I'm dying to see what else they sent you." Sable laid the stuff on top of the table and picked up the last box. It was a bit heavier than the others, but she paid it no mind. She tore the paper off and opened the box. She pulled the tissue paper out and threw it to the side. Her eyes were as wide as saucers when she saw what the box held within the papery depths.

"Oh, my God. My parents have lost their minds." she said breathlessly.

"What is it, Sable??" Lily queried, "What is it?" Sable picked the thing up out of the box and turned to face her red haired friend. Lily gasped at the sight of the item. It was a silver tiara lined and filled with crystals and the sapphire-blue stones. Lily smiled and nodded in appreciation.

"You're parents have definitely out did themselves." she mumbled, looking over at the things scattered over the table. Sable shook her head and put the tiara back in the box.

"I can't believe they bought all of this, for a Halloween Ball."

"Don't complain, you're gonna look great. Talk about turning heads. Remus is gonna have a hard time keeping you by his side all night. Every other guy in this school is gonna be after you that night." she said.

"I doubt that." Sable said.

"I don't." Lily said firmly. Sable only shrugged and started putting her stuff back into the boxes, packing it carefully away into the boxes.

"Well, come on, you can help me get this stuff to my room."

"You're not going to show the boys?" Lily asked.

"Nah, let it be a surprise for them," she said evilly, "Maybe when they see me in it, it'll render them completely speechless and we won't have to listen to Sirius go on all night about incoherent things that make no sense at all. Because you know he's going to find a way to spike the punch. He always does." Lily grinned and shook her head in defeat. Sable was right. No matter how hard the Heads tried, someone always managed to spike the punch with something. Lily had a fleeting feeling that it had been the Marauders for the past four years. 

The two girls finished putting the things away and went to the portrait of Agrippa and Merlin behind the staircase. They said the password and soon found themselves on their way to Sable's bedroom three floors below. 

James, Sirius, Peter and Remus were finally getting out of the clutches of that wraith McGonagall after a half hour gripe session. Since there was no physical evidence against them, the boys were let off of the hook with a warning. After McGonagall threatened to kick James and Sirius off of the Quidditch team, throw Peter in a class of Slytherins by himself, and lock Remus in the Shrieking Shack on the next full moon, the boys were let out of the room They ran u0p to the Gryffindor common Room and burst out laughing, causing some fo the other students to cast odd looks their way.

"It worked! It worked!" Peter said, laughing joyfully.

"Of course it worked, we're geniuses at pranks." Sirius said happily.

Lily and Sable were coming out of the portrait hole when the boys sat down laughing. Lily motioned for Sable to be quiet as they slipped out of the hole. They could hear everything from their vantage point.

"Yeah, the look on Snape's ugly face was priceless. Him in tights and dancing shoes. It's priceless!!" James cackled.

"Too bad we didn't have a camera," Remus chuckled, "it would have been hilarious if we could have gotten a picture of that!"

"Yeah, it would have been pretty funny!" Peter agreed. James turned to Remus and grinned. 

Lily and Sable were listening to the whole conversation from the security of the hidden alcove. Lily was looking amused while Sable was fighting back a laugh that threatened to burst from her lips.

"By the way, Moony," he said, "How'd you come up with the idea for that prank? That was an original." Remus shrugged and grinned.

"Actually, Sable gave me the idea and helped me to make the potion without realizing it." he said.

Lily looked back at Sable, who only shrugged her shoulders to indicate that she didn't know what he was talking about.

"When she was helping me with the Potion's homework the other night, while you guys were at Quidditch practice and Lily was helping Peter, I came across a potion in one of her many potion's books that changed a person's clothes into different things. All you had to do was brew the potion and say the incantation over it. I..uh... suggested that she help me make the potion as practice for class. She helped me brew it and put the incantation on it. Before she bottled it up, I swiped a few vials."

Sable was fuming. Remus had deliberately tricked her into brewing a potion that would cause havoc, not that she so much minded. But he could have told her so she could have put them in something more embarrassing than tights and tutus. _'And the little butt-head didn't even have the decency to tell me he was going to prank our worst enemies with it. Just wait till I get my hands on his mangy neck!! The tutus and tights were good, but I'd have thought of something better, maybe grass skirts and coconut bras. '_ Sable grinned and winked at Lily, who seemed a little worried.

"How'd you know the potion worked." Peter asked. Remus laughed and shook his head.

"That was the best part." he said with a smile, "Sable drank a vial of the potion to see if it would work. Sure enough, about two minutes after she got it down, she found herself in dancer's uniform."

"You mean to tell me that Meadow Sabriel Robbins was prancing around in a tutu and gold ringlets?" Sirius asked with a grin. Remus nodded and smiled, remembering exactly how they had looked. James let out a loud laugh and was almost in tears by the time he calmed down.

"Wish I had a picture of _that_!!!" Sirius said. Remus only shook his head and continued to snicker.

Meanwhile, Sable was on the verge of strangling Remus Lupin in front of the entire common room. When they had done the potion, he had promised not to tell anyone that she had turned her clothes into a tutu. She glanced over at Lily, who was trying to suppress a laugh. Sable put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Leave it alone, Lily." she said quietly. This only caused Lily to chuckle.

"I can't help it, Sable," she grinned, "The image of you in a tutu is to funny to imagine." 

__

'She's not going to let me live this down.' Sable realized grimly, _'At least I could bribe Remus into silence. Or so I thought.'_

"Leave it be, Lily." Sable said again. Lily covered her mouth with her hands and smiled.

"Oh, Sable, I'm not laughing at you," she said, "I'm laughing with you." 

"Does it look like I find this entertaining?"

"It had to have been remotely funny at the time," Lily said. Sable grinned as the image of Remus in white tights, red tunic and ballet slippers popped into her head. She smiled and suddenly thought up a way to get him back for telling the guys about the tutu incident. She looked over at Lily and grinned.

"I'll be back in two minutes. Stay here till then." she said. Lily cocked her head in question, but said nothing. Sable slipped back into the hidden pathway and ran back down to her room.

Five minutes later, she emerged from the hole with a few pictures in her hand. Lily looked at her curiously, but said nothing.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Well, you see, when Remus and I tested that potion, we told each other that whatever the results were, we wouldn't tell anyone else. We both knew that we would look horrible when the uniforms appeared, so we promised not to tell another living soul about it. Well, I figured he wouldn't keep his mouth shut to the others, and this just proved my point. I hid a camera in my lab and took a few pictures after the change. So now, I'm bringing out the big guns since he can't keep his mouth shut." She handed the pictures to Lily and watched as the red head began laughing her head off. 

Sable heard the boys conversation stop when Lily started laughing. She snatched the pictures out of Lily's hand and helped the girl up before the boys could get there. The two girls came out of the alcove and made their way over to the couch where the boys sat. Lily sat down by James and Sable sat on the arm of the chair after pocketing the pictures in her robes. Remus looked a little ill at ease, not knowing exactly how long they had been listening in. He was soon to find out.

"So guys, did McGonagall give you all detention for a month, or what?" Sable asked sweetly. Peter shook his head.

"No, we only got off with a warning. No detentions or anything." he said. Sable nodded and smiled. Remus knew something was going on. She never asked pointless questions, and these were as pointless as they got.

"Good work, Marauders." she said with a grin, winking at Lily, who only grinned in response. "Now I have a question for you. How exactly did you change the Slytherin's clothes? I didn't know there was a spell that had that big of an effect on such a large amount of people."

Remus began to fidget and James and Sirius looked on apologetically as Sable seemed to close in on him.

"The same way you changed your clothes the other night when we were at practice." James joked. Sable nodded and grinned. 

"I see." she said simply. "Well, did Remus happen to tell you about that? He did. Well, did he mention that he drank some of that potion too? He didn't? Well, I think I'll just let you see exactly what that potion did to him." She pulled the pictures out of her pocket and waved them in front of Remus' face. 

Remus turned white with embarrassment. _'How the heck did she get pictures of that? There was no camera in the room!! I'll wring her neck if she shows them.'_ he thought. James snickered and Sirius laughed. Sable flipped through the pictures with the easily, laughing as she came to a picture of Remus in the uniform.

"You do realize how much damage I could do with these? Don't you, Mr. Lupin?" she teased. "I'm sure James, Peter, and Sirius would like to see exactly how cute you are in tights and ballet shoes." Remus tried to grab the pictures out of her hand, but she danced out of his reach before he could get to her. He stood up and made for her.

"Sable, give me those pictures or else!!" he said, jumping over the couch to get to her. She ran away to the other side of the common room, dancing in between some of the younger students.

"Or else what? You're going to subject me to Chinese water torture? Nice try, mister. But you should have kept your mouth shut about that." she said, putting a table in between her and Remus.

"Exactly how much of that conversation did you two hear?" James asked Lily, back over at the couch.

"Enough to know that you four were responsible for the prank, Remus swiped the vials of potion, and Sable had on a tutu." she said. 

"Ouch!!!" Sirius said, rubbing his head as a bookend hit him in the head. "Watch your aim, Robbins!" he yelled, "You're supposed to hit Moony, not me!!"

"Well then come get him away from me, before I start throwing anything I get my hands on!" she yelled. Remus had cornered her in the end of the common room and was trying to get close enough to get the pictures from her, but it wasn't doing any good. Anything she could get her hands on, she was throwing at him. Peter ducked as a book went flying past his head, as did a few of the younger students. Sirius laughed at the two, but was promptly shut up when the other, matching bookend came whizzing toward him at a very high speed.

"I mean it, Robbins!" he growled. "I said watch it with those things!"

"Maybe I'm not trying to hit Remus anymore, you moron!!" she yelled back. Sirius just humphed and shut up, glaring at the girl. 

"Give me them pictures, Sable!" Remus said loudly. She had run out of projectiles and now he had her cornered, without anything to throw at him.

"You want them, come get them, Remus!" she said, tucking them down into her robe pockets. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned up against the wall, a smirk on her face. Remus grinned and made for the girl. Sable didn't think he'd actually try to get the pictures, but when she found herself being lifted over Remus' shoulder and hanging upside down, she knew he meant business. She pounded on his back and started yelling at him.

"Remus Lupin, put me down this instant, you overgrown prat!!!" she said, punctuating each word with an upside down punch to his back. The others smiled at the comical situation between the two.

"When you decide to quit hitting me, then I'll put you down." he said, "Until then, you're staying right where you are. Besides, I want those pictures."

"You're not getting them." she said flatly.

"Then you're not getting down." he replied.

"Damn you, Remus Jason Lupin!! Put me down this instant!!!" she yelled.

"Oh, dear." Lily snickered. "He's in trouble now."

"Yeah, she used his full name." Sirius said with a grin.

"This is about to be good." James smiled.

"That's not gonna happen until you hand over those pictures, missy!" he said. Sable twisted as best she could to get a look at the others sitting on the couch.

"How about some help here, ya'll?" she questioned.

"Nope, not getting into it."

"I'm not that dumb!" 

"Let him get the pictures." were the varied responses. Sable looked over to Lily.

"Lily?" she pleaded. The red head smiled and shook her head.

"Put her down, Remus. The pictures aren't that bad." she said. Remus' face was horrified.

"You showed her, Sable?" he said to the girl he was holding over his shoulder.

"Yeah, she seen'em. Now let me down!!" she hit him between the shoulder blades and began to fidget.

"No way! Just for that, you're staying up there longer." he said flatly. Sable started to fidget and Remus almost dropped her.

"When I finally get down from here, Remus Lupin," she threatened, "I'm going to enlarge these pictures and paste them all over the halls of Hogwarts." she threatened.

"You do realize that you are in no position to be making threats, Ms. Robbins." he said sarcastically. "Now, if you'll just be a good witch and hand over those pictures, I'll put you down."

"A good witch?" she asked with a smile. "Isn't that an oxymoron?"

"A what?" Sirius asked.

"Don't ask, Sirius." Lily called out. "You wouldn't understand if we tried to explain." Remus just shrugged and shifted Sable's weight.

"I want those pictures, Sable." he said.

"How about you get the damn pictures yourself, Moony." she growled, "Because I'm not going to voluntarily hand them over to you." Remus shrugged, knowing that she wasn't going to give them up.

"Fine, suit yourself, Sable." he said, "I'm telling you, you're gonna wish you had just handed them over." He picked the girl up and dropped her on a nearby couch and proceeded to tickle her mercilessly. The younger students that were in the common room gave the two tussling teenagers plenty of room. 

"Remus......you....hahahahaha...stop....this. .....hahahaha....you…overgrown.....hahahaha... ...mangy.........just...hahahaha....wait.......you're.........going...to.....aaaaaaahhhhh...stop tickling me...die!!!" she yelled, batting his hands away from her. He stopped only for a split second to question her.

"You ready to give up those pictures yet?" he grinned. Sable glared at the boy and tried to get up. He pushed her back down and started again.

"Sirius.....hahaha....Lily....someone...aaaahhhh....help me....hahahah.....damn you....Lupin....James, help.....Peter.....hahahahah .....Remus...you're......a dead..hahahaha....dog.... someone help me!!!!" she screamed. James and the others chuckled at her current predicament. Remus let up again, only to ask the same question of her. Once again, she tried to get up, and this time she succeeded. She glanced at the clock quickly before standing up to straighten up her messy clothes.

"Now, about those pictures," Remus said, holding out his hand, "hand them over." Sable frowned in defeat and fished the now rumpled pictures out of her robes. _'If he wants them that bad, he can have them. I've got another set anyways.' _

"All you had to do was ask nicely, and I would have given them to you, Remus." she said sweetly. "No tickling at all." Remus snatched the pictures out of her hand and looked at them quickly, blushing the whole time. Sable smiled and turned to the other boys.

"Um, fellas," she said, pointing at the clock, "don't you two have to get ready for a Quidditch match in about an hour?" James and Sirius looked over at the clock and jumped to attention. They had spent so much time teasing Sable that they had forgotten about the game.

"Sorry guys, but we've got to go." Sirius said quickly. James nodded in agreement and pulled his friend out of the portrait hole. Sable, Lily, Peter, and Remus just grinned at the retreating figures of the boys. There wasn't any other people in Hogwarts nearly as Quidditch obsessed as those two. 

"I do believe this should prove to be an interesting game." Sable said with a grin.

"I can't wait." Remus said. "Cody Flint is going to get his butt kicked all over that field, and he doesn't even realize it yet." The four friends laughed and settled down to wait until it was time to go to the Pitch and watch the grudge match of the school year. 

Later on that day, Lily and Sable were climbing the stands that surrounded the Quidditch field. It was noon, and the Gryffindor team was playing against Slytherin for the first time since school had began. Lily spotted Remus and Peter on the top row of the stands and quickly wove her way in between the students and faculty members to get to them, Sable in tow. The boys had left earlier than they had in order to find some decent seats. 

When Remus saw Lily's red hair weaving through the students he nudged Peter in the side and they made room for the two new comers. Lily and Sable sat beside each other in between the two boys. It was a cool day, and the two teams were doing warm up laps around the circuit. Sable smiled as James and Sirius waved at them from high up in the clouds. The two Marauders were in their element on broomsticks and in the air. The students cheered and hollered out to their favorite players. When a particularly loud group of girls in Hufflepuff started chanting James' name, Lily seemed to get upset. Sable smiled as she noticed the other girl's obvious discomfort. Lily wasn't normally the possessive type, but she definitely didn't want anyone messing with James. That was a death wish if you ever had one. He was hers, and hers alone. As the other houses started to get in on the chant, Lily's temper flared. Sable leaned over and whispered to her,

"Calm down, Lily," she said, "They all know he's taken. Besides, they wouldn't dare try anything; they know you'd kill'em if they did. Besides, I don't think James could put up with three quarters of them anyway." Lily seemed to calm down, but it didn't really help. 

"I think they just need a reminder as to who is with who." she stated simply. Sable was a little confused at her comment but said nothing. She soon figured out what was going on when the Gryffindor team made one more lap around the Pitch. As James drew closer, Lily stood up and waved him over. James left the circuit and came to hover near his girlfriend. The cheering girls were becoming thunderous, and Lily was determined to make it apparent who his heart belonged to. 

"Hey guys." he said cheerfully. Remus, Peter, and Sable waved and smiled in acknowledgment. James turned to Lily and frowned. "What is it, Lily?" James asked, holding onto his broom with one hand and wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the other. "Something wrong?" Lily only smiled and shook her head.

"No, nothing's wrong." she answered. "I just wanted to tell you good luck before the match, and to do this." She wrapped her arms around James' neck and pulled him into a searing kiss that left the cheering girls speechless for a minute. Hell, even Remus and Peter were stunned at Lily's bold as brass move. Sable shook her head and smiled at the other girl's tactics. When James pulled back, Lily smirked and sat back down. They knew that James was seeing stars for a moment, but quickly smiled and took off again, muttering something about that kiss bringing him more than just good luck.

Sable noticed that the cheering girls were now quiet as a mouse. She leaned over to her red headed friend and grinned. 

"I think you put them in their place, Lils." she muttered. Lily only smiled and nodded. Remus was almost bursting with laughter, and Peter was barely containing himself with glee. A few minutes later, the same stubborn group of Hufflepuff girls were chanting the names of the other Gryffindor player. They seemed to settle onto Sirius' name in no time flat. As the cheering reached thunderous proportions again, Remus turned to Lily and grinned.

"Are you planning on stopping Sirius' fan club too, Lily?" he mocked. Lily grinned and shook her head, pointing down to the stands where a certain black-haired, seventh year Ravenclaw prefect named Arabella Figg was sitting.

"Nope, I think Arabella will do the honors for me." she laughed. Sure enough, Arabella took a leaf out of Lily's book and waved Sirius over. Obviously, Sirius was expecting what was going on because he swept down and pulled Arabella onto the broom with him. Much to the chagrin of every other girl in Hogwarts, he flew around the Pitch with her. As he deposited her back into her place, Sirius gave one of his patented, killer smiles and planted a kiss on Arabella that would had her smiling like a lunatic. Sirius flew off and joined the team, who were shaking their heads in amusement. Sable looked on as Arabella turned and glared in the direction of the offending Hufflepuff girls. They seemed to get the message as Arabella's icy glare swept over them. They immediately shut up. Lily smiled and laughed out loud. It wasn't a very well known fact that the Ravenclaw Prefect Arabella Figg had seemed to snag one of Hogwarts' most sought after guys. _'Hell, I didn't even know they were together.'_ Sable thought happily. 

She was friends with Arabella Figg, or Bella, as she was better known. The girl was vivacious and pretty, with thick black hair and brown eyes. She also had an intellect that rivaled Lily's, which was a feat in itself. She and Sirius had met back in their first year, but hadn't hit it off very well. They had become better acquainted with each other last year when she had caught him sneaking around in the Ravenclaw dormitories after hours, trying to prank the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. By some stroke of bad luck, Sirius couldn't talk his way out of the compromising situation. Bella had turned him over to the Headmaster the next day. A very ticked off Sirius then made her the target of his own personal pranks for the next few weeks. Poor Arabella had went through torture as he played every imaginable prank on her he could. But when she started retaliating, Sirius learned that even the stuffy, bookworm Ravenclaws had a mean streak in them that needed to be reckoned with. 

The turning point in their prankfest was when Sirius went to dorm one night and found his bed transfigured into a pile of glass shards .......... after he had jumped on top of it. Needless to say, he was picking glass out of very sensitive body parts for a while after that. With that final prank, Sirius admitted defeat, even though he never told anyone. From then on, Sirius Black and Arabella Figg were very good friends. She even helped the Marauders on a few of their more recent pranks. No one figured that their relationship was more than a very tight knit friendship. _'Looks like Sirius has some explaining of his own to do after this.'_ Sable grinned. She looked to her right, where Remus was sitting. His jaw was at his feet in amazement. Sable grinned and used her finger to shut his mouth. He looked over and shook his head in surprise.

"I take it that little antic of Sirius' was a surprise to you also?" she asked. 

"Hell yes it was!!" he yelled. "He never told us he had a thing for Figg!" Sable wrinkled her nose, trying to hold back a laugh.

"So you guys tell each other about the girls your pining for?" she asked. "Sounds like something us girls would do, doesn't it Lily?" Lily nodded, remembering how she had let loose to Sable about James through the letters they had sent each other.

"Of course we talk about the girls we like," Remus stuttered. "That's the only way we keep up with who is with who." He looked back out over the field where Professor Swift, the flying instructor, was walking out. 

"So you admit to gossiping about your crushes?" Sable prodded a little more, trying to get a rise out of her friend.

"Of course we do." Peter answered. "In fact, I'm getting sick of hearing about how Remus is too afraid of talking to the girl he likes." Sable visibly blanched at the affirmation of Remus having a secret crush, but tried to play it off.

"Ohhh, so Remy has a crush." she said. "Who is it, Moony? Do I know the lucky girl?" Remus blushed and looked away, not facing Sable's prying eyes. He heard Lily snicker and chuckle. He wasn't about to admit that Sable was the one he wanted, at least not with her sitting six inches away from him. 

"Yes, Remus. Who is the lucky lady? Anyone in Gryffindor?" Lily prodded. 

"I refuse to answer any question that will be used against me at a later date." Remus said simply. "Why do you want to know anyways?" Sable pretended to be shocked as she clutched the front of her robes.

"Why, Mr. Lupin." she admonished. "I do believe that any girl you want has to go through MY inspection before she gets to you." Lily laughed at the shocked expression on Remus' already red face. Peter was howling with laughter. The bickering between these two were better than Sirius and Sable.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

"Do you really think that I am just going to let any girl come and take one of my best friend away from me?" Sable asked. "When you decide to ditch us and go with some girl, I want to make sure she is a good girl with high morals, a good personality, and a level head on her shoulders. Heaven knows there only needs to be one prankster in a relationship." Remus seemed to regain some composure before catching onto the little game in front of him.

"And exactly who would you be comparing my intended girlfriend to?" he asked with a slight grin. 

"Well, no one important." she said with a fake southern belle accent. "Just little ol' me." Remus rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation.

"So, my girlfriend has to be the exact opposite of you, basically." he teased. Sable glared playfully and held up her head.

"Hey, I happen to exhibit every one of the aforementioned qualities, thank you very much."

"Oh give me a break, you are best friends with the four biggest pranksters in the history of Hogwarts! You help us think up the pranks half the time, and you lie to the teachers to get us out of trouble."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing, Remus." she smoothed over, " And besides, you're throwing things way out of proportions. So, let me clarify a few things for you. One. I like to have diverse friendship which includes, but is not limited to, house pranksters, mad and crazy Quidditch player, temperamental red-heads, potions geeks, and creepy little people. Two. I give you constructive criticism on your pranks; you guys make up the rest. And three. I don't lie to teachers. I just don't tell them the full truth all of the time."

"I'm in trouble." Remus muttered half heartedly. Sable took his hand and patted it a very motherly fashion. "With requirements like that, I'm not likely to get a girlfriend until I'm out of Hogwarts." Peter grunted and tried to cover up a comment that sounded annoyingly like "_ yeah, right"._

"It's alright, Remus dear." she crooned, "One day, you will find a girl who will live up to all of my pre-ordained standards. Then, and only then, can you have a girlfriend. Until then, you're stuck with me."

"Well, if that's the case," he said, taking his hand from hers and putting it around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "How about I quit waiting and just take you instead. That way, I don't have to wait any longer." he said. Sable wasn't sure she was hearing the words he was saying. _'Oh boy, does he realize how thin the ice is he's treading on right now?_'Sable thought. She put on a fake smile and turned the bull-shit meter up full blast.

"I don't think you could handle me, Remus." she said quickly. Peter and Lily were grinning like idiots at the flirting going on between the two. It was almost painful to have to bear it all. Remus raised his eyes and smiled.

"You sure about that?" he teased, "You'll find that I can handle more than you may think, Ms. Robbins." _'Oh, trust me. I could handle you with no problems. Just give me a chance.'_ he thought

"I'm sure you could. But that doesn't mean you'll ever get the chance, now does it?" she smirked. _'Trust me, Remus. You could handle anything I threw at you and then some, I'm sure of it.'_ she said. Remus bent his head down and whispered low so no one else could hear.

"How about you give me a chance to find out? I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised." Sable's eyes went wide at the thought of the invitation. Her heart rate was steadily increasing, and she felt the blood pounding in her ears._ 'This has got to stop.' _She thought. _'He's going to drive me crazy with this kind of talk.'_ She scooted away from him with a smile on her lips. He looked over at her and smirked. _'Oh, shit!' _Remus thought, _'I am so going to get myself in trouble one of these days!!'_

"I'm sure I would be, Remus." she said quietly. "You might get that chance one day; you never know." She smiled shyly and looked out over to the field. Remus was really confused. Her retorts and sarcastic remarks were tinged with something new......... longing and sincerity. He got a hold of himself and was about apologize if he had insulted her in any way.

"Look, Sable. I'm sorry about.................." But he was interrupted when Blaine Ports' voice boomed out of the amplified speaker across the field. 

"WELCOME HOGWARTS STUDENTS, FACULTY AND VISITORS." his voice sounded. "TO HOGWARTS' FIRST QUIDDITCH MATCH OF THE SEASON. GRYFFINDOR VERSES SLYTHERIN. NOW LETS GIVE A BIG HAND TO THE STARTING LINE UP FOR THE SLYTHERIN TEAM." As Blaine's amplified voice called out over the speaker, various responses were heard. Slytherins were cheering for their housemates while the majority of the other houses either booed or stayed silent. The emerald clad players took their positions in the air and the Gryffindor team was announced. The clapping erupted again and cheers could be heard from everywhere except from the Slytherin part of the stands. The Gryffindor team took their stances and Professor Swift got the game under way quickly.

As usual, the Slytherin team was playing as dirty as ever. As soon as the Quaffle was up in the air, the Slytherin team was up to its usual dirty tactics. Bludgers were being aimed at the Gryffindors heads and other needed body parts. The Slytherin chasers were ramming the Gryffindors into the stands and sending them flying off their brooms with forceful punches and kicks. They seemed to have the entire thing planned out. Some of the team members would divert Swift's attention from the Gryffindor players and the others would attack with unmanned ferocity. Some how, the Bludgers were beginning to fly closer and closer to the stands. Sable and Remus ducked as one come severely close to taking off their heads. Flint was perhaps the vilest of all of the players. He knocked Karen Douglas off of her broom about ten minutes into the game. She fell a good fifteen feet from her broom and landed on the hard sand. A time out was called and James argued with Swift to leave her in the game. The girl was spitting up blood by the clots. She was in no shape to play. Unfortunately, the reserve Chasers wouldn't stand a chance against the Slytherin team. James noticed this and tried to think up of some way to counteract the problem.

Up in the stands, Sable was chewing her nails down to the beds. She knew that the Slytherin team was ruthless and vile, but this was worse than normal. She gasped when Flint knocked Karen off of her broom. The poor girl hadn't seen it coming. Now, she was barely standing on her own two feet. Her anger was slowly mounting, and her friends tried to calm her.

"Calm down, Sable." Peter said. "They can handle it."

"That was just low down and dirty!" Lily said menacingly. "The Professor didn't even see it either! Bloody, bastard cheaters!!"

"Karen will be okay. They have a reserve Chaser for situations like this." Lily said. Sable shook her head.

"You know as well as I do that the reserves are no where near being ready for a game. Most of them are third years for Merlin's sake." Sable said. "They just aren't ready yet."

They looked back down at the Pitch, where James was trying to talk to Professor Swift. He had a brilliant idea, but needed to make sure that he wouldn't be breaking any rules before taking action. After receiving the final confirmation, he jumped onto his broom and flew up to the top of the stands where Lily was siting. 

"What are you doing up here, James?" Lily asked. "You're in the middle of a game." James grinned and shook his head. 

"It's okay, Lily." he said. "I just wanted to know if I could borrow Sable for a few minutes." 

"Me?" she asked. "What for?" James gave her a cheeky grin and readjusted his glasses.

"Do you feel like playing a game of Quidditch?" he asked. Sable looked at him like he was crazy.

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked. "She's not on the team. She can't play. It says so in the rule book." James ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.

"Actually, she's down on the roster as a reserve member." he explained. 

"How'd that happen?" Sable asked. "I never signed up for the team." James looked a little sheepish and turned to face her.

"Well, after your performance against Flint during the tryouts, I put your name on the roster as a reserve before sending Sirius out to offer you a position. I was pretty sure that you would accept it. When Sirius found you and Remus in that ....awkward position.... it slipped my mind to tell you about it. Needless to say, I never took your name off. So, according to the roster, you are a reserve member for the team." he explained. "But I don't have time for that now. Will you play or not, Sable?" James was getting desperate, and she knew it. She hadn't even practiced with the team. She shook her head. Remus grinned, getting an idea as to what was going on, and how she had wound up on the roster.

"And I guess you just happened to overlook Sable's name when you checked the roster at the beginning of the season, right?" he asked sarcastically. James only shrugged, but a small smile was playing on his lips.

"I have absolutely no idea as to what you are talking about, Remus." he answered. "Besides, Sable can help us out now." He turned to her and waited. Sable just stared at him blankly before answering.

"James, I don't know any of the plays or tactics. I'd be like a fish out of water." she said desperately.

"It's the same plays that you help me make up, the new ones and the old ones." He said. "You know them better than anyone else cause you helped me create them." 

"But, James, I ......" 

"Go on, Sable." Peter urged. "We need all the help we can get right now. You said yourself that the reserves weren't ready." 

"I know, but I didn't expect for me to be playing." she said.

"Come on. I need an answer, Sable." James panted. "Swift isn't going to hold the game up for much longer." Sable looked around to Remus. He only nodded and pushed her towards James. Lily smiled and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Sable smiled and nodded.

"I'll do it." she said. James beamed down at her and shook his head.

"Okay, good. Now, go to the Gryffindor locker rooms. There is an extra set of robes for Karen sitting on the table. She's about your size. Put them on, grab one of the brooms out of the shed and get back out here as soon as possible." Sable nodded and began to leave the stands in a rush.

"What are you going to do for the time being?" Remus asked, watching her hurry down the stairs.

"I'll put one of the reserves in for now. Just hurry up, Sable!" he hollered to her retreating figure. James turned to go back down when Lily stopped him.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do? The Slytherins could really hurt her, especially Flint." James shook his head.

"I don't think Flint is going to mess with her too much. He learned enough during try-outs to do anything more horrid than normal." And with that, James went back down to the Pitch, motioning for one of the reserves to take Karen's place.

Five minutes later, Sable was standing down at the edge of the Pitch, scarlet and gold robes donned and a broom in hand. James noticed her and called for a time out. As they settled down onto the Pitch, the Gryffindor team could hear the jeering of Slytherins' team mixed with the announcer's stunned reaction.

"POTTER HAS MADE AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE. HE IS NOW SUBSTITUTING RESERVE CHASER SABRIEL ROBBINS INTO THE GAME!!!! IS SHE EVEN ON THE GRYFFINDOR HOUSE TEAM???? WELL, OBVIOUSLY POTTER HAS SOME TYPE OF REASONING BEHIND THIS TURN OF EVENTS, AS SHE WILL NOW BE JOINING THE GAME!!! PERHAPS SHE CAN HELP PULL THE GRYFFINDORS OUT OF THE RUT THEY SEEMED TO BE IN. CURRENT SCORE IS SEVENTY TO FORTY, SLYTHERIN LEADING!!"

"What's the matter, Potter?" Flint called out, "Having to take a break from our game? I know we are hard to keep up with, but really, two time outs in less than ten minutes. That's a new low, even for you!" James pulled the team into a huddle and quickly explained the changes to the line up. They were back in the air in no time at all. Sable took up her position and waited for the game to begin. Across the field, she could see the pensive look on Cody Flint's face when she ascended into he air with the rest of the team. _'That asshole has it coming!!'_ she thought. 

The Quaffle was released again and the next few minutes were a complete blur for her. The Slytherin team seemed to be concentrating its efforts solely on the Chasers of Gryffindor. Sable barely managed to dodge the iron bludgers that were speeding her way, compliments of the Slytherin Beaters, before taking the Quaffle and scoring. She rounded the goals and heard her housemates cheering for her. She let a small grin escape and concentrated her mind on the game at hand. This continued for the next fifteen minutes.

"AND ROBBINS SCORES AGAIN!! THIS BRINGS THE SCORE EVEN!! POTTER'S MOVE TO PUT ROBBINS IN THE GAME HAS REALLY WORKED TO HIS ADVANTAGE!! AND THEY ARE OFF AGAIN!!! THE SLYTHERINS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN THEMSELVES INTO!!! EVEN FLINT IS HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH THE GRYFFINDOR NEWCOMER!!!"

Dodge, grab, dodge, fly, score, receive, turn, dodge, score. It was like a movie in fast

forward. The three Chasers of Gryffindor quickly picked up the lagging score and were soon level with Slytherin. _'Damn it, Potter!!'_ she groaned, _'You had better catch that damn Snitch. And soon!!'_ Almost as if someone was listening to her prayers, James dove into the stands and began weaving in and out of the players, a small glint of gold only inches away from his outstretched hand. He pulled out of the dive and clutched the golden ball in his hand, a triumphant grin on his face.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!!! JAMES POTTER HAS THE SNITCH!! FINAL SCORE IS SLYTHERIN 90 - GRYFFINDOR 240!!!" Sable stopped in mid-flight and looked over to where James was circling the Pitch. She started to descend, happy that the game was over with. The other members of the team were crowding around him, cheering and laughing. Throughout the crowd of students, she could hear the chant of the various Gryffindor player's names. She was most surprised to distinguish little Thomas' voice among a group of the younger students. She smiled and waved to the children, which earned her an enthusiastic wave of screams. She looked back behind her where the Slytherin team was beginning to sulk and retreat to the changing rooms. She was about twenty feet from the ground when she looked up into the stands again, searching for her friends. 

"SABLE!!!!!!!" someone screeched, "LOOK OUT!!!!" Sable turned to see Lily and Remus standing up in the stands and pointing behind her. She stupidly turned around and looked to see what the problem was. Before her reflexes could kick in, an iron Bludger slammed into her shoulder. She screamed out in pain as the Bludger flew off. She felt white hot pain sear through her body. Her mind clouded as she began to fall from her broom. The last thing she saw was the contented smirk of Cody Flint, holding a Bludger bat, as she passed out from the intense pain.

**__**

A/N - Okay, who would like to kill Flint right now? Good, that's what I was going for. Okay, I'm kinda in a hurry, so I'll keep it short. Remember to leave me a review. I like to know what you guys think. It actually helps when I right new stuff. Later.


	21. Chapter 21

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine, never was.

A/N - Okay people. Enjoy. I really liked the chapter when I wrote it. Hope you do too. Later

Flint is as Good as Dead

Lily, Remus, and Peter ran through the throng of students to where Sable's unconscious form lay on the ground. Professor Swift was bent over her form, checking for a pulse. Even as he tried to shake the girl awake, it was obvious she had taken a hard hit to the upper part of her shoulder. The pain had to have been intense, because she was passed out. When Lily got through the crowd to her, she saw the entire Quidditch team trying to get a better place to see. James was stooped down next to the flying instructor, patting her hand urgently.

"Sable...Sable... come on girl, wake up." he said loudly. There was no response. Professor Swift turned quickly to the first person he saw and sent him to the nurse to relay what had happened. The boy dashed through the crowd and up to the castle with lightning speed. 

"Everyone back up!" Professor Swift called. He pulled his wand out and conjured up a stretcher put the girl on. He moved her body to the stretcher and began to walk up to the castle. Lily looked over to James and Sirius. They were fuming, and ready to beat the shit out of Cody Flint. Remus was in an even worse mood. He was clutching and un-clutching his fists at his side. He walked over to James and Sirius with murder on his mind.

"Who was it?" he said gruffly. "Who hit the Bludger to her after the whistle had been called?" James looked ready to kill. He glanced over at Sirius and nodded.

"Flint." was all he said. Remus' temper flared up and he looked around the crowd, searching for the Quidditch Captain.

"I'll kill him." he seethed. The other boys nodded and started to walk off to find the guilty party. Lily sensed the impending fight and stepped in front of the three boys, each one of them twice her own size.

"Not now, you three." she said quietly. Remus looked angrier than ever, and he gently pushed Lily to one side.

"Not now, Lily....." he muttered. The girl grabbed his arm and he turned around and growled at her. His eyes were flashing amber sparks from around the blue center. _'Full moon's soon.'_ Lily thought. _'This is just great. Something like this had to go and happen when his nerves are already at the breaking point. I would kill Flint myself, if I knew it wouldn't land me Azkaban.'_

"Remus, you can't just go and beat the piss out of Flint right now. Sable needs us." She said. Remus glared at her more and looked over to his other friends. They were just as ready to hurt the Slytherin as he was, but the thought of Sable injured in the hospital wing quickly cooled his temper. He hung his head and nodded, his anger still present, but slipping. 

"We'll get Flint later, Moony." Sirius seethed. "Right now, we need to make sure that she's okay."

"Yeah, I already saw the rest of the team following her towards the castle." James said.

"Along with some of the younger kids." Peter chimed in. Remus grimaced and glared towards the Slytherin locker rooms as Flint passed into them with a look of triumphant on his face.

"I'll kill him for that." Remus muttered.

"I know, Moony." James said. "And we call dibs on whatever piece of him you leave." 

"There won't be anything left when I get done with him." Remus whispered. He turned abruptly and left his friends standing there. The others followed and they were soon standing in the entrance to the hospital wing.

When the arrived, though, it was impossible to get through the crowd of people gathering around the door. Remus spotted little Thomas McCleod closest to the door.

"Why won't they let us in, Thomas." Remus barked at the little boy. Thomas seemed to cringe back when he looked up at the older boy.

"Madame Pomfrey said that no one is going in there until she does a full examination to see exactly what is wrong with her." he said quietly.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER!???" Remus shouted. "A BLUDGER JUST SLAMMED INTO HER. WHAT DOES SHE THINK IS WRONG???!!!!" Sirius walked over to the boy and stopped him.

"Moony!" he said fiercely, "Calm yourself. She's injured, not dead" Remus glared and backed up against the wall. All around him there were students from every house milling around, waiting to find out what was going on with their friend. He started when he noticed a few of the children were wearing cloaks with the Slytherin House crest on them. 

"Lily," Remus said. "Why are those kids here?" he asked, pointing to the two little boys and two little girls with the Slytherin robes. "They're in Slytherin." Lily sighed and shook her head.

"Remus, Sable helped the younger students with their work all of the time. You know that." she said.

"But they're in Slytherin House!" he exclaimed. Lily shook her head in frustration.

"She doesn't care, Remus." Lily said. He looked astonished , but she kept on. "Remus, you know that many of the first and second years in Slytherin House are brought up in the aristocratic ways of the old wizard families. The parents have very little to do with their own children. Those students are only a few of the dozen or so that come to her for help, not only with their work, but with their personal problems also. She's like a mother figure many of them never had." Remus was shocked, but said nothing. He glanced around and noticed that there were as many Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students as there were Gryffindor. 

About that time, the doors to the hospital wing were opened and Madame Pomfrey came bustling out. She looked surprised to see so many students standing outside the ward. 

"Ms. Robbins is fine, students." she said loudly. "She is resting at the moment and is not to be disturbed. If you want to see her, come back after dinner. She will be better by then. However, if she is in no shape to have visitors I will not permit anyone to bother her. Now, go on with whatever you were planning on doing and let her get some rest." Some of the students heaved huge sighs of relief when the nurse finished her speech. Some of them decided to come back later, and the hallway slowly began to empty until only the Quidditch team, the four young Slytherins and Thomas McCleod were still standing there. Madame Pomfrey looked ruffled and turned back to them.

"I told you that she will......."

"Madame Pomfrey. Madame Pomfrey." came a weak voice out of the ward. Pomfrey looked back and saw who was calling her. She turned back to the waiting students and frowned.

"I told you she will be better after dinner, children." she bustled. "Go on back to you Common Rooms." She shut the door and the kids stared at it.

"She's up." Remus said quietly. "And I'm not leaving until I know she's fine."

"But, Madame Pomfrey said that we should leave." The little blond headed Slytherin first year said. Sirius frowned and looked down at the girl.

"You're in Slytherin," he said grumpily. "Do you always do as your told?" The little girl looked chastised and turned back to her friends.

"That was uncalled for, Padfoot." James said.

"Sorry." he said. The door to the ward opened again and a very flustered Madame Pomfrey came out.

"Ms. Robbins insists on seeing her friends before she takes any medication." she said. 

"Can we see her, just for a few minutes?" Thomas asked timidly.

"Yes." the nurse conceded. "However, it's only for five minutes at the maximum. Now stay quiet and you can come in." The little boy went forward and the other younger students followed at a respectable distance. The Gryffindor Quidditch team fell in last, with James and Sirius bringing up the rear.

As they entered the ward, the smell of cleanliness overwhelmed them. Everything around them was white and pristine, like something out of a dream. The nurse quickly led them over to a curtained off area and pulled back the privacy curtain. The younger students crowded to one side while the Quidditch team, Lily, and Remus stood on the other side and at the foot of the bed. Sable was lying in the white hospital bed with a white examination gown covering herself. She sat up in the bed and tried to smile, but only managed to grimace.

" Sable," Thomas said quickly, "you don't need to sit up. It might make things worse!" Sable looked over to the little kid and gave a weak grin.

"Has Pomfrey been talking to you?" she asked shakily. Thomas shook his head. 

"Why?"

"That's the same thing Pomfrey's been telling me since she got me in here." She looked around the bed and noticed the four Slytherin students off to one side. 

"Miranda. Kacey. Michael. Kenneth. You can come closer. I won't bite you." she said quietly. The four children walked forward shyly and stood closer to the bed.

"Are....are you ..... okay, Ms. Sable." one of the little boys asked timidly. 

"I'm fine, Kenneth." she said, patting the little boy's hand. "Just a little beat up."

"We saw it when you fell from the broom," the blonde girl said, "We thought you were their house, and if she told them she risked them going to die. It was so far up." Remus grinned and shook his head.

"It'll take more than that to get rid of her." he said. "We've been trying for years, and she still comes back." Sable grinned and the little kids smiled.

"Who knocked you off your broom, Ms. Sable?" Michael asked. Sable looked over to the Quidditch team and bit her lip. She knew who it was, and they knew who it was, but the kids didn't need to. Flint was in getting hurt.

"I'm not sure, Michael." she said with a grin. "But I'll be fine in a few days."

"Is anything broken?" Kacey asked. 

"Just my pride." Sable grinned, ruffling the girl's hair. "Pomfrey thinks I may have a concussion, but other than that, I'm just bruised badly." The children looked better and Sable saw Madame Pomfrey peeking around the corner of the curtains. She smiled at the smaller children and looked at each of them in turn.

"I think Madame Pomfrey is about to kick you out, guys." she told the little ones. "How about ya'll come see me after dinner, when I gotten some rest?"

"Will you be okay until then?" Thomas asked immediately.

"I'll be fine, Thomas."she chided gently. "Now go on and get something to eat, all of you. None of you will make decent Quidditch players if you don't eat something. Now go." She smiled at the children as they filed out of the ward and towards the door. When they were out of earshot, Sirius and Remus erupted.

"I'm going to kill that Slytherin prick!" Sirius said. "He done this on purpose!"

"Of course he did, Sirius." Sable said. "Now calm down before Pomfrey kicks all of you out."

"He is going to pay for this, Sable." Remus said. 

"We'll get him good, Remus." James said. "Don't worry."

"Look, don't worry about me." Sable said. "How's Karen?

"She's fine." Lily said. "In fact she should be here soon." Sable nodded and rested her head back against the headboard. Madame Pomfrey came bustling around the curtain, ready to kick everyone else out.

"Alright, students." she said. "Your five minutes is up. Out you go." The students grumbled but slowly began to fade out. "Oh, quit complaining. You can come back after dinner. This girl needs rest." Lily gave her a hug and started to push the entire Quidditch team out of the ward.

"Alright people, you heard her, OUT!" she said. "That includes you two too, James Potter and Sirius Black." James and Sirius nodded their heads towards her and left the ward.

"Get some rest, Sable." James said. "We'll come back in a few hours." The two boys disappeared and Madame Pomfrey looked at Remus with narrowed eyes. 

"That includes you also, Mr. Lupin." she said gently. Sable grabbed his wrist to stop him before he left. She looked up at Madame Pomfrey and put on her best puppy dog face.

"Madame, can he stay for a few more minutes? Please. It won't take long I promise." She begged. The nurse nodded and walked away.

"Five minutes." she barked. "My patient needs rest." Sable smiled and let go of his wrist.

"Remus," she said gently, "Calm down, please." 

"Sable, that prick done this to you on purpose. How can you be so forgiving?"

"I haven't said I've forgiven anybody, Remus." she said. "But you don't need to be worked up about this. Not now, anyways. The full moon's the day after tomorrow, and if you're this upset the transformation is going to be horrible. And I can't give you the Wolfsbane Potion and the pain blocker at the same time. It'll kill you." Remus sat down on the side of the bed with a sigh.

"He's not going to get away with this, Sable. That was no accident out there." 

"I know Remus." she said. "And the only thing I've got to say is if any of you decide to fight him, make him hurt." Remus looked up and furrowed his eyes, in confusion. "Because right now, I'm in so much pain I don't know what to do."

"Pomfrey hasn't given you any medicine yet?" he asked. "She's usually forcing the stuff down my throat after the changes." Sable grinned sheepishly and looked away.

"I told her I wouldn't take anything until I've seen you guys. I was afraid you three were going to jump the entire Slytherin Quidditch team after this."

"We nearly did." he admitted. "Lily stopped us." 

"Good, I don't want you guys to get into anymore trouble because of me." 

"What? You just said to make Flint hurt......bad."

"Don't let anyone see you when you hurt him, okay." she said sarcastically. " I know it's no use telling you three not to fight, because you're going to do it anyway. Just take some precaution, that's all." Remus grinned and stood from the bed.

"Right." he said. "You need to get some rest. If you do have a concussion, the best thing is rest. I'll come back to see you after dinner." Sable smiled and pulled the covers up over her.

"Good, now go get something to eat. You look peaky to me."

"Me???? You're the one in the hospital wing."

"Technicalities, technicalities." she said. "Now go." Remus nodded and walked out of the ward. He heard Madame Pomfrey giving her some sort of medicine and the jumbled voices of the two. _'If Pomfrey gives her what she usually gives me, she'll be out in no time flat.'_ he thought. He turned the corner and decided to go back to the Great Hall to find the others. Dinner wasn't for a couple more hours, and Pomfrey wasn't going to let anyone else in the ward a minute before then. When he turned the corner that led from the hospital wing into the Great Hall, he ran smack into someone else. He took a step back to keep himself from falling down. He started to apologize for his clumsiness when he realized who he had hit. 

Cody Flint.

Remus immediately felt his temper go from nothing to Vesuvius level when he laid eyes on the Slytherin Captain. Flint smirked and tried to push past the boy, but Remus blocked his way by stepping in front of him. Flint done nothing but step back into rank with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch players who were with him.

"Out of my way, filth!!" he sneered, "I've got nothing to say to you."

"The dungeons are the other way, Flint." Lupin growled. Flint sneered and Remus heard one of the other boys let a low laugh escape.

"We're not on our way to the dungeons." Flint said. "I was actually on my way to see if Sable was alright. She took an awful nasty spill on the Pitch." Remus bristled and fought to keep from lashing out at the entire group.

"Yeah, it's a pity she can't dodge Bludgers as well as she scores with a Quaffle." one of the boys laughed. "She might actually be able to play like a real Quidditch player one day." Remus clutched his hands to his sides, refusing to rise to the direct challenge. _'I can't loose it in front of the whole team. I can't!'_ the thought. He glanced at the boys and tried to regain control of his temper.

"Stay away from her." he growled. "If you go anywhere remotely near her, I'll kill you myself." The boys smirked and Flint shook his head.

"You misunderstand me, my friend." Remus glowered and said nothing. "We are only concerned with her well being. You see, since she doesn't have a 'significant other' to make sure she's feeling alright, the boys and I were going to see if there were any services she may need us to do for her."

"Yeah, one of us should make her feel a little better." the blonde snickered. "She's got to be hurting bad right about now."

"We'll give her something else to take her mind off of that particular pain, at least for a little while." The red head pressed.

"We'd make old Patrick proud, we would." another one said. Remus lost his control with that last snide comment. Just the thought of one of those creeps doing anything to her like Patrick did to those other girls, made Remus loose his control.

"I'll kill you...." he said. He made for the group, fierce loyalty and protectiveness shining in his eyes, when a commanding voice pulled his attention tot the end of the hall.

"Remus!"

"Moony!" James and Sirius yelled simultaneously. The Slytherins turned as one to see who the intruders were, but Remus and Flint stayed locked in an eye to eye battle.

"What's going on here?" James demanded, eyeing Flint.

"We were going to offer our condolences to Ms. Robbins." Flint lied , never breaking contact with Lupin. "However, we seem to have been interrupted, haven't we?"

"Sable's resting in the hospital wing," Sirius said gruffly. "Pomfrey won't let anyone in to see her. We already tried." Flint smirked and broke eye contact. He turned his head back to his team and sneered.

"Well boys, if that old bat is baring people, our plan will have to wait." The team nodded and grinned before turning to leave the hallway. Flint turned back to the three Gryffindor boys and gave them a half way sympathetic smile. "As light complected as she is, that bruise is going to look rather nasty against her skin. Don't you think, Lupin?" Remus' eyes were full of fire, and he lunged at the boy again.

"You Slytherin bastard......" Remus began, but was cut off as he was jerked back by James and Sirius. He was pushed behind the two boys and blocked from Flint's sight.

"That's enough, Flint." James said. "Go back to your Common Room and change. You're stinking up the hallway." Flint gave a mock bow and nodded.

"Of course. Who would dream of disobeying the great Head Boy, James Potter and his trusty side-kicks, dog-boy and wolf-man." Remus tried to get around the two, but Sirius caught his shirt again.

"Get lost, Flint." he hissed. "You're getting in over your head." The boy only shook his head in disgust, eyeing each of the Gryffindors. His gaze landed on Remus and he smirked.

"We'll finish this later, Lupin." he said quietly. The only response was a low growl from the back of Remus' throat. Flint turned and walked back down the corridor, leaving the three boys there.

James let out an audible sigh of relief when Flint's green robes slipped around the corner. He let go of his death grip on Remus and turned to face the distraught boy.

"You okay, Moony?"

"Not as okay as I would have been if you'd have let me get my hand s on that bloody bastard!" he said. Sirius patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"We'll make sure he gets what's coming to him, Moony. Don't worry."

"Yeah," James said. "When everyone saw him purposely hit her, they were in an uproar. All of the Houses are ready to jump him, even some of the younger Slytherins."

"You're right." he muttered. "The last thing I want is him laid up in the hospital by Sable." He shook his head and began to walk away, leaving James and Sirius behind.

"Is Flint trying to get himself killed?" Sirius asked. "Does he have a death wish or something?"

"If he does, I think Moony's more than willing to fill it right now." James shuddered, running to catch up with the very pissed of werewolf that was one of his best friends.

Halfway through dinner that evening, Remus pushed back his plate and excused himself form dinner. He'd been trying to find something to keep himself occupied for the evening, but all he could think about was the coming full moon and Sable. He made his way up to the hospital wing in record time and pushed open the door. As the solid door slid open, he heard voices float through the silence. It was Sable's voice mingled with the pleasant Scottish accent of Thomas McCleod's. She was laughing and Remus topped to listen to what was going on.

"....and then, Mikayla swooped down and caught the Snitch. We won the Junior League Championship by a hundred points. It was great!"

"Sounds like you guys had to work quite hard and put up a fight to win that game." That was Sable. Her voice was stronger and she sounded like she had gotten some much needed rest.

"Oh, yes," he said. "We worked heard, and it all paid off in the end."

"I'm glad for you, Thomas. You're going to make a fine player one day." There was a pause until Thomas spoke again. 

"Sable, I've got a question for you." 

"Fire away, buddy." she said easily.

"Well...um....I wanted to know if you....well....never mind. It's stupid." Remus could hear the nervousness in the boy's voice as he spoke.

"What is it, Thomas. Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Well, you see, a bunch of my friends were playing a game of truth and dare, and well, I was dared to ask you a question."

"What is it? It can't be that bad, can it?"

"It's embarrassing."

"Thomas," Sable said gently, "I'm friends with four of the biggest trouble makers in school. If they've never embarrassed me before, I highly doubt your friend's question will."

"What about that day after the Quidditch tryouts?" he teased. "You seemed pretty embarrassed then." Remus nearly choked holding back a laugh. He heard as Sable shifted uncomfortably in her bed.

"Thomas, do you want me to answer the question, or not?" she asked.

"Okay, okay." he said, laughing at her. "Here goes." He took a deep breath and shuddered. "Is Remus Lupin your boyfriend?" There was a slight pause and he heard Sable move again.

"Define 'boyfriend'." she said. "Remus is a very good friend of mine who happens to be a guy."

"But you guys are always together. And anytime you two fight, he mopes around the Common Room. You should have seen him after that mess last week. He was a mess."

"We're just very good friends, Thomas. We understand each other much better than other people do." she said quietly.

"Oh." was the only answer she got. "Well, I'd better go. Dinner began twenty minutes ago. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Sable. Bye." Remus slipped behind a curtain until he heard Thomas pass, mumbling _'..understand each other, my foot! They're more like friends with benefits! I've seen the way he looks at her, and it's not just friendship he's thinking about. I'm only 11 and I can see it! Why can't she?'_

When the door to the ward shut, he emerged from the curtain with a grimace.

"Am I so obvious an eleven year old notices?" he asked quietly to no one in particular. "I'm in over my head. I'll never by anything more than her friend."

"Remus?" Sable called out, "That you?" Remus kicked himself, remembering her own heightened senses as well as his own. 

"Damn. I forgot!"

"What'd you forget, Remus?" she asked as he walked around the privacy curtain surrounding her bed. There were flowers and cards and candy all around her. Obvious gifts from some of the other Houses to make her feel better, but he wasn't looking at them. He too one look at her and frowned, his anger beginning to boil again. He eyes traveled from her face to her shoulder, noting the blackish tint to her skin, residual of healing bruises.

"Exactly how much I want to kill Flint right now." he hissed. Sable shook her head.

"Temper, temper, Mr. Lupin." she chided. "You don't need to shoot your blood pressure through the roof. You know that."

"I can't help it." he said, staring at the black marks on her otherwise creamy skin. "How big is that bruise anyway?" Sable frowned and shifter her shoulder.

"Come here, and I'll show you." she said. She undid the tie on the hospital gown and slipped it off of her shoulder, exposing the remnants of Flint's handiwork with a Bludger and a bat. The bruise was roughly the size of a dinner plate and covered the entire left side of her shoulder and chest.

"Bastard." Remus cursed. "He's really going to get it now."

"Remus." Sable said, pulling the gown back up and retying it. "You aren't going to do anything to him until I get out of here."

"Says who?" he asked incredously.

"Says me, that's who." she stated. "Unless you want to be the next one laid up in here beside him."

"He can't put me in the hospital! You think I can't fight him and win?" he asked, his temper starting to come back. 

"It's not him that's going to do the beating." she said primly. "It's me." Remus blanched and backed down, knowing she would make good on her threat in push came to shove.

"Sable, I'm not letting him get away with this."

"Neither am I." she said patiently. "But it can wait for now. The full moon is tomorrow, and neither of us need to be having a fight on our minds, especially you." Remus looked away, knowing she was right.

"You're right." he said, slumping into a chair. Sable smiled and nodded.

"I know I am." she said gently, patting his hand. Remus grinned and looked up at her, hopeful. "Now, I need you to do me a favor."

"What?"

"Go down to my lab and get two viles of the Wolfsbane Potion." she said. "You have to take one in the morning, when you eat breakfast. And one tomorrow night before you change."

Remus looked shocked.

"Aren't you coming with us tomorrow?" he asked. Her presence at the last transformation had helped him to some extent, so he had hoped she would be with him this time. Sable grimaced and tried to move her arm.

"Pomfrey says I have to stay in here for another day or so. I got a concussion when I fell, so I won't go back to class until Monday or Tuesday." she said. Remus nodded, but didn't move form his seat.

"That sucks." he said. "I was hoping you would be able to come with us." Sable nodded and tried to move around again.

"I was hoping I would be able to come, too." she said quietly, "but Pomfrey won't let me get up from this bed. Trust me, I've already tried." Remus nodded, knowing fully well that if Pomfrey didn't want you to go anywhere, you weren't going. He shook his head slowly, but stopped when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Sable had pricked up also.

"James and the others are coming." he said. 

"I heard." she answered. Not even two minutes later, James came into the ward, carrying a huge basket of flowers. Sable looked over at Remus, who shook his head in confusion.

"Uh, James, what's up with the flowers?" Sable asked.

"Just wait and you'll see." he said through the stems of flora. As he said that, the rest of the group (Sirius, Peter, Lily, Arabella, and Amanda) came in with various arm loads of stuff ranging from candy to flowers to books. When they got all of the stuff situated, Sirius turned to her and grimaced.

"If you ever get hurt again, I refuse to play messenger boy for your gifts from your admirers." he said flatly. "By the way, you're never playing another Quidditch game again for this very reason!"

"This is all mine?!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, it isn't the Easter Bunny's." Peter remarked. Sable looked wide eyed around the room slowly taking in all of the gifts

"But who sent all this?" she asked, turning and looking at her friends.

"Well," Arabella said, coming out from behind Sirius, "that pile is from a bunch of Ravenclaws. Most of it is from the kids you tutor after classes. The rest was thank-you gifts for showing Flint up at the game."

"And," Amanda started, pushing over to the bed. "That pile is from the Hufflepuffs. Like Bella said, most of it is from the little kids you tutor. But there are a few of the baskets that came from some of the guys on the Quidditch team." Remus glared at the Hufflepuff girl, who was completely oblivious to the icy gaze. "Just to say thanks for kicking some Slytherin arse." Sable smiled and looked around to a pile of gifts flashing red and gold colors.

"I take it that is from the Gryffindors." she said. James and Sirius nodded. Peter stepped up and grimaced.

"You even got something from the Slytherins." he said.

"WHAT!!" Remus asked. "Which one of those slimy snakes had the audacity to send her something after they knocked her off the broom?!!" Sable shook her head.

"Calm down, Remus." she said. "It's probably just from the kids." Peter walked to the pile of gifts and pulled out a little box.

"Open this," he said. "I don't think the 'kids' bought it?" Sable looked a little confused, but opened the box. Lying in the soft tissue paper was a gold chain, a small Quaffle pendant attached to it. She looked closely and found _'MSR'_ engraved on the front, her initials. She picked the necklace up and a small note fell from the paper. She picked it up and scanned over it before putting it back in the box.

"Pete," she asked, "who sent this to me?" Peter shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know." he answered. "One of the little kids gave it to me this morning. Said that some of the older students told them to give it to one of us to give to you." Sable shut the box and put it on the table beside the hospital bed.

"Do you know who would have sent you something like that?" Lily asked. 

"No. Especially if they were really from Slytherin House." she said. Everyone was silent until James cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"So, Sable, when is Pomfrey gonna let you out of here?" he asked.

"Not any time soon, I'm afraid." she said. "I won't be able to get out of here for another two days or so."

"But what about tomorrow night?" Sirius said quickly. "We need you there to make sure that everything goes okay." Lily promptly stepped on his foot to shut him up. Arabella and Amanda looked a little confused. 

"What's going on tomorrow night?" Amanda asked.

"Uh... well...you see...." Sirius stumbled. James looked pale and Remus started shuffling his feet.

"What my articulate friend is trying to say," Sable said smoothly, "Is that we were planning on pranking the Slytherin Quidditch team tomorrow. However, now that I'm temporarily incapacitated, it will have to wait." She looked at Sirius and gave him a rather pointed stare that said Don't-worry-about-it. It's- already-taken-care-of. Sirius looked relieved and Remus nodded enthusiastically.

"Well," Arabella said, "if you ever need any help pranking them, call me." Amanda grinned and nodded.

"Me, too." she said.

"We'll definitely keep you two in mind." Lily said with a grin. About that time, Madame Pomfrey came around the privacy curtain and stood shock still at the sight of everything.

"Where did all of this come from?" she barked, pointing at the Get Well gifts. 

"The students?" Sirius asked stupidly. Pomfrey put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"I want this stuff out of my ward, right now!" she said.

"You mean we have to carry it all back to the Common Room?" Peter whined. "We just carried it all up here."

"You're a wizard, Pettigrew," the nurse said sarcastically. "Put a levitating spell on it."

"Oh, that's right." Peter muttered, pulling out his wand. The others snickered and tried to hide their laughs.

"And I want the rest of you out of here." she said. "Ms. Robbins still needs her rest."

"But you said we could talk to her after dinner." Remus protested.

"Aye, I did." she said, "And you have. Now out. She needs her rest."

"But......." James began.

"No 'buts', Mr. Potter." she said. "Out!" All of the teens quickly grabbed their wands and levitated the stuff out of the ward without a word of digress.

"We'll be back in the morning." James said. Remus frowned and walked out of the room after saying goodbye to her. Sable had the fleeting impression he had mumbled _'I'll be back in here before tomorrow.'_ but she wasn't so sure. She gulped down the potion Pomfrey had handed her and soon felt the blissful abyss of sleep envelope her. 

Half an hour later, someone named Remus Lupin snuck back into the ward and fell asleep in the chair beside the bed.

IIIIIIIIIIIII The Next Morning IIIIIIIIIIII

The morning sunlight woke Sable up from her peaceful slumber early the next morning. She sat up in the bed and looked around. Pomfrey was no where in sight, which was probably a good thing. 

"She'd probably try to force one of those disgusting potions down my throat again." she muttered.

"Huhhh?" came a distorted voice from her left. "Whose forcing what ......throat....." Sable nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice, but calmed down when she remember the Marauder's invisibility cloak. She reached over and felt around for the silkiness of the cloak. Once she found it, she pulled gently, revealing a sleeping Remus Lupin. 

"What're you doing here, Remus?" she asked quietly, not wanting to wake him up. It was still somewhat early after all.

"Make....sure....you're.....fine......Flint......came........talk.....we......told.......off." he mumbled, turning over in the chair and pulling the cloak closer around him. Sable grinned and tried to hold in her laugh. He was talking in his sleep. _'Let's see what I can find out about you to use as blackmail, Moony ol'boy.'_ she thought.

"Remus." she said quietly, "Remus. Can you hear me?" A disgruntled grunt was her only response.

"Did Flint try to come up here yesterday?"

"Uh-Hu." 

"Why?"

"Services.......rendered.....Sable...Beat...up..Captain." He mumbled. _'I'm not even going to ask about that one.'_ she thought. _'Time for a change of topics.'_ So, for the next ten minutes, Sable pried information out of the sleeping form of Remus. Finally, he began to stir awake. She smiled and sat back on the bed, waiting for him to wake up. He finally turned over and looked at her when he woke.

"How long you been up?" he asked groggily.

"Not long." Sable answered with a smile. She looked over him critically and grinned. "I think you need to shave, Remus. You're starting to look a little hairy." Remus ran his hand along his jaw and nodded.

"You're right." he said. "I'll do that first thing after breakfast. You hungry?"

"Actually, yes. I am." she said. "Let's go get some food." She pushed the covers off of her bed and went to stand up, but Remus stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. 

"To get food." she said plainly.

"You're not suppose to leave." he reminded her.

"I was hoping you would have forgotten that by now." She said grumpily.

"Not likely." he said. "I already told the house-elves to bring some food up here. They should be here soon."

"Do you have the potion with you?" she asked quietly. Remus nodded and pulled out a vile of the clear liquid. She looked rather skeptical, and was about to say something when Remus grinned.

"Don't worry about it." he said. "I trust you." He knew she had been thinking about putting him in danger with an untested potion. She'd been doubting herself the whole time and he knew that. But he also knew that she was the best potion brewer in and around England 

"Good." she grinned half-heartedly, "that's refreshing to know." He nodded and tucked it back into his pocket. 

They spent the rest of the day talking about different things. As Sable's steady stream of visitors for the day began, Remus decided to go get some more sleep in his own bed. With a parting hug, he slipped back up to the Tower to wait for night time to fall. He'd be on the floor of the Shrieking Shack in a few hours. _'Might as well get some rest while I can. Cause I don't think I'll be getting much tonight.'_

**__**

A/N - Okay. I know. I know. No blood shed yet. Don't worry, it's coming I promise. The boys will fight, just not right now. Remember to leave me a review. Trust me, after the phone call I just got, I'm going to need all of the good words I can hear. Later. 


	22. Chapter 22

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine, never was

A/N - I hope you guys are enjoying this story. It's starting to wind up now, so I'm sure some of you are ready to kill me for not up dating sooner.

Transform

Later that afternoon, Remus' growling stomach woke him from his not-so-peaceful sleep. He looked at his watch and grimaced. It was five o' clock. The sun would set in about half an hour. _'Well, there goes my night of peace and relaxasation.'_ he thought sarcastically. Pulling on a shirt, he left the dorm and headed for the hospital wing to see if Sable was feeling better.

When he got there, it was no surprise that there was someone there already. He stepped behind the same curtain he had hid behind yesterday and listened carefully

"...hadn't figured he would do it since he's so shy." came the guy's voice. He heard Sable laugh.

"Now, Dwayne," she said, "you know how she is. Kara's a good girl, but sometimes her taste in boyfriends is ..........well.......... questionable."

"I won't disagree with you there...." he answered. Remus recognized the boy now as Dwayne Kellar, a Hufflepuff seventh year. Kara Kellar was his twin sister in Ravenclaw.

"So, Sable." he asked, "who are you running around with these days. I heard that you and Sirius Black were together. Any truth in that?" Remus almost jumped out of his skin, but Sable's laugh told him it had been a rhetorical question.

"Sirius?" she laughed. "Maybe if I could separate him from Arabella for more than ten minutes. Give me a break. Who've you been listening to?"

"A little bird."

"Was that little bird named Kara Kellar?" she asked quickly.

"Maybe. Maybe not." he said evasively. "So, who's the lucky guy, Robbins?"

"Actually, no one at the moment." she said quietly. "I'm flying solo."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not." she said evenly. "Is that hard to believe I can stand on my own two feet?"

"That's crazy." he teased, "I figured a pretty little thing like you would have sunk those claws into somebody by now."

"You make me sound like some rabid creature looking for a quick shag in a closet, Dwayne." she said exasperatingly.

"Well, are you?" he asked. Remus was beginning to loose his control with the other boy. He had no right to be asking her those questions. 

"Why? Think you could fill the position?" she asked. Remus growled but, kept his temper in check.

"Well, they say older women make better lovers. And you're what, three months older than me?" he teased. "I'm willing to try. How about you?" Sable laughed.

"I don't think so Mr. Kellar." she said. "I don't think your girlfriend Michelle would like that too much, would she?"

"Probably not." he conceded with an overly dramatic sigh . "What if I dumped Michelle?"

"DWAYNE!!"

"Joking....I was joking." he said with a friendly grin.

"Good. I don't want to see her hurt. She's a good girl."

"Don't worry. She said if I ever hurt her, she'd personally kill me herself."

"Speaking of Michelle." Sable started. "Doesn't the Hufflepuff team have practice this evening?" There was a slight pause and a curst from Dwayne. Michelle was on the team, and he usually went to her practices.

"Damn, I forgot!" he said. "She's gonna kill me if I don't show up for the practice. I've gotta go, Sable. I'll see you later, okay?" 

"Go ahead, Dwayne. Tell her I said hello."

"I will. Bye." The boy rushed out of the ward and shut the door behind him. Before it was shut, he heard Sable's voice.

"You can come out now, Remus. There's no one else here." she called. Remus smiled and went to the bed.

"How'd you know I was here?"

"The same way you heard my conversation with Dwayne." she answered, tapping her ears.

"Oh, right." he muttered.

"Just waking up?" she asked, pulling the sheets off of her. Pomfrey had allowed her to change into her own clothes earlier that day, and Lily had brought Sable some of her own clothes since she didn't want to dig in her own room. She had brought back a pair of her own shorts and what Sable had suspected to be one of James' shirts she had nicked from him.

"Yeah," he answered, "Didn't sleep too well last night. And tonight won't be any better."

"It might. You took the potion this morning, didn't you." He nodded. "Make sure and take it this evening. And everything should be alright. Do you feel any different?" Remus thought for a second, remembering the strong feeling of anger when Dwayne had been flirting with her earlier, even though he knew it meant nothing. _'Just territorial anger.'_ he thought.

"Not really." he fibbed.

"Good. You're not supposed to." she said. Remus looked over at her and grinned. Her violet eyes hadn't changed to the amber color like his own, which was odd.

"Why didn't your eyes change color?" he asked. "They're the same as usual."

"Oh. I used a spell to keep them their normal color in case Snape or Flint saw me. I know he thinks I'm lycanthropic after reading my journal. And I have a feeling he remembers the symptoms of a werewolf from Defense class. I didn't want to tip him off any more than normal."

"He was up here?" Remus asked angrily. "After we told him to leave you alone."

"Yes, he was up here earlier. Didn't say much though. He might have stayed for ten minutes." She said. "Here, if it makes you feel better, I'll change them back." She grabbed her wand from the table and muttered the counter curse to the spell. "Better?" she asked. Remus looked up and saw his own eyes staring back at her. Sable's eyes had turned to the to same amber as his own. She reminded him of a cat with the dark hair and amber eyes.

"That's better." he said with a grin. He started pacing the space in front of the bed, muttering about slimy, bastard Slytherins. Sable, having enough of the pointless muttering, got up and stood in front of him, blocking the path.

"Remus." she said quietly. "Calm down. They didn't do anything. Just came to see if I was unfortunately still alive and left."

"They shouldn't have been up here." he said simply. "Does Pomfrey know?"

"Yes, she knows." Sable said. "Now shut up before I'm forced to take drastic measures."

"You can't shut me up." he said skeptically. "You know that without your wand, it's impossible."

"Oh, really?" she asked. "I thought all I would need would be that dress that I wore the last time we were at _The Three Broomsticks_. You sure weren't saying much after that." she said smugly. Remus blushed and turned away, not wanting to remember what she looked like in that dress.

"That was shock." he said. "I thought Lily had exchanged you for someone else while she was in the store."

"Well, if that won't work. Maybe this will." Sable walked up to him and put her hand over his mouth with a grin. "Now. Hush about the Slytherins." Remus grinned and put his arms around her for a hug. Sable smiled and leaned into his embrace.

"I think it worked." he said against her hand, holding her.

"Good, now be quiet and hold me." she said. He smiled and pulled her close to him. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Comfortable?" he asked quietly.

"Yep." she answered. Remus grinned and held her. He didn't know what had brought on the sudden mood swing between either one of them, but he was not about to stop it. He never got to hold onto her, unless something was very wrong. And it felt good to have her so near him. His own instincts began to rise as her scent filled his nose. She was his, and only his.

Not Snape's.

Not Flint's.

Not even Sirius'.

She belonged with him, and only him. His hands came to rest on the small of her back.

"I'm going to kill Flint when I get out of here." She muttered.

"We can do that after I thank him." Remus answered quietly, too absorbed with her to fight.. Sable pulled back and frowned.

"Thank him? For what?" she asked.

"Well, because of his arrogance, he put you in here. And because of that, I've got the best girl in Hogwart's in my arms. As far as I'm concerned, that's reason enough to thank him." Sable grinned and shook her head.

"Well, Mr. Lupin," she said with a fake southern belle accent, "Just any ol' time you feel like wrappin' them arms around somebody, come find me. I'll be glad to help."

"I'll keep that in mind, Ms. Robbins. I just might take you up on that offer."

"I hope you do." she murmured. He smiled and Sable snuggled into him. They stayed like that until someone cleared their throat loudly. 

She felt safe with Remus, but this was starting to become a little more than just friendly, and she knew it. She didn't want to move, but she didn't want to hurt him either. It seemed like he needed some reassuring right now, and if she made him feel better, she'd stay here all night.

"Uh-hmm." came a somewhat amused voice. Sable jumped out of his embrace and Remus nearly felt like killing whoever it was when she stepped back and away from him. He turned around to see James, Sirius, and Peter standing at the foot of the bed, all with huge grins on their faces.

"Are we interrupting?" Sirius asked with a chuckle. "We can come back in a half hour or so, if you'd like." Sable rolled her eyes and Remus looked away.

"As tempting as that may sound, Sirius," she said sarcastically, looking out the window at the darkening sky. "I think you guys may need to leave now. The sun's setting in a few minutes." The boys standing at the foot of the bed nodded and turned to leave; Remus followed after giving her a small grin. Sable reached out and grabbed his hand. 

"You have the potion?" she asked. He nodded and patted the pocket of his pants. He saw the worry that flickered in her and quickly hugged her again.

"It's okay, Sable." he said. "I trust you."

"I don't want to hurt you with my work, Remus. That's an unlicensed, unregistered, and probably illegal potion. It's not even tested. What if it kills you?" Remus just shook his head at her. Sable, mad with his response, drew up like an injured hinkypunk. "I sure hope you've accomplished what you want so far in life." she said sadly. Remus, filled with warmth at her words, acted on is emotions rather that logic. He grinned at her as she looked up at him.

"Well, there's one thing left I want to do, but now's not the time." he said with a grin. "Besides, you play a big part in it, and right now you probably wouldn't agree with it." Sable looked up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, not quite sure as to what he had meant.

"Moony!!" came Sirius' voice. "Let's go. We're running out of time!" Remus looked over his shoulder and frowned, giving her enough time to compose herself again.

"Go." she said. "But be careful. I want you back here in one piece." Remus nodded an turned to leave, but before he was out of the ward, he heard her mutter, _'Merlin, bring him back in one piece and I'll do whatever the Hell he wants!!!"_

℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧℧

As the four boys made their way out the castle and to the Whomping Willow, there was no sound. Peter had already changed and was scurrying along in front of the other three boys who were covered by James' invisibility cloak. The rat that was Peter, climbed underneath the deadly branches of the plant and prodded the knot that froze the tree in place. The other three quickly joined him in the tunnel beneath the tree. When they were all together, Remus pulled the cloak off and Peter changed back. They followed the tunnel until it came out into the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade, saying very little. They all knew that tonight would either make or break Remus. Sable had worked so hard on the Wolfsbane Potion, hoping to find something to help him. Sirius pushed open the trapdoor that led into the Shack and pulled himself up. 

The moon was starting to rise into the night sky, and Remus could feel the change fighting to occur. He held back, waiting until they were out of the tunnel to grimace with pain. He quickly pulled out the vile and gulped it down. His nerveless fingers dropped the glass to the floor, shattering it into a million shards. He doubled over in pain and clutched his stomach. As the change started, his mind filled with Sable's voice and what she had told him a million times before.

__

'Remus, don't fight the change. It doesn't do any good.'

'I don't want to become a monster.'

__

'You're no monster, Remus. Let go of that.'

'I don't want to hurt anybody.'

__

'No one's going to get hurt. We're all here for you. Remember that.'

'Sable, I...... I'm...'

__

' I know, Remus. Now, take the potion, baby. Everything will be fine.' 

James, Sirius, and Peter quickly changed into their own forms and waited for the change to finish. They said nothing, waiting for the transformation to finish. They knew that he was suffering with out the pain numbing potion he had been on for so long, but it couldn't be mixed with the Wolfsbane Potion. It wasn't safe. Remus began to change in front of their eyes. His body sprouted course fur and his face elongated into the shape of a wolf's . He dropped down onto all four and screamed as the pain took over. Ever bone in his body was breaking and re-shaping itself to form the final shape. The fur had overtaken his body and he now looked like some cross between a human and a dog. Two minutes later, it was done. In front of the three illegal Animagi was the wolf form of their best friend. 

When the pain subsided, the creature looked around and took in his surroundings. There were three other animals with him, a stag, a dog, and a rat. It got up from the floor and shook its fur out. There was a fleeting moment when it began to remember why it was there, but nothing came of it. It looked carefully at the three animals in front of it. The wolf knew they were familiar to him. Why else would they be here. It's thoughts drifted back to another time when it had been let loose. A human had been there. A female human not afraid of him. The wolf struggled to remember, wondering where all of the memories were coming from. He remembered seeing the girl with purple eyes and black, sable hair.

__

Sable. She was here. It thought. _Then, who am I?_

The wolf looked around again at the three other animals and it came crashing down on him. _Peter. Sirius. James._ If the wolf could have smiled, it would have. _I know who they are. Sable's potion worked!!! I can think like normal!!!!_ Remus stood up and done the wolf equivalent to a nod to the other boys. With that, the dog, Sirius, jumped up and down, barking his head off. James, the stag, bowed and nodded. Peter just ran around and squeaked. _'Merlin, I love that girl!!!' _he thought happily. He let out a long howl that could have been heard for miles around. As the sound warbled off into the night sky, Remus knew that the one person he wanted to hear it would.

James saw the difference in Remus' stature when he had stood up. The feral look that had so often been in the boy's eyes was gone. A human understanding was present now. He wondered exactly how well the potion had worked. _'If I changed back into a human, would he attack me?' _James watched him carefully and decided not to tempt it tonight._ 'Maybe next time._'

Back up in the castle, Severus Snape cringed as he made his way up to the hospital wing. It was dinnertime, and he did not expect to see anyone else in the corridors. He had left Flint in the Great Hall, saying that he wasn't hungry and that he was going to work on one of his homework assignments. He had went straight to the hospital wing to see if Sable was still there, and to confirm his suspicions as to whether she was indeed a werewolf like Lupin. As he opened the door to the ward, he was amazed to see Sable standing at the window on the opposite side of the room. He had figured she would be gone with Lupin. Everything in his being had told him that she was a werewolf, or more appropriately, a she-werewolf.

She seemed to be oblivious to his presence, and he was grateful for that. Earlier that day, when he had come up, she was in one Hell of a grouchy mood, but that could have been because Flint had been with him. She sat on the sill of the window and looked out across the Hogwart's grounds. He couldn't see her face, but it wasn't important. There was no one else in the ward, even Pomfrey had went to dinner. The light of the full moon swept into the dark room and illuminated the girl. A howl could be heard from somewhere in Hogsmeade and Sable stood up from the window and put her hands to the pane, almost like she was trying to get out there to whoever it was. _'Lupin.'_ he thought decisively. The girl stood up and walked back to her bed, but this time, she was facing him. He was surprised when she looked up and met his gaze.

"What are you doing here, Severus?" she asked, a deadly quiet seeping through her voice.

"I wanted to see if you needed someone to take the notes for you during class tomorrow." he said smoothly. 

"Why would you care?" she asked icily. "Last time I checked, you only like to steal from me, not help me. When'd you change your mind?" Snape stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the girl. _'So, she knows.'_ he thought. She looked like she was on the verge of attacking him. But, being Snape, he wouldn't back down.

"What are you talking about, Robbins?" he said. "I haven't stole anything from you." 

"Really?" she asked. "Then how do you explain my journal being in your dorm?" Snape stopped again. He had flipped out when he had found the journal gone. No one else had access to the Slytherin dorms except the Slytherins. He hadn't figured out who had been stupid enough to take it. But the next morning, when half of the Slytherin House had been pranked, he had figured out what had happened to the journal.

"I never had your journal, Robbins." he said. "What are you going on about?"

"I'm going on about you stealing something that had nothing to do with you?" she replied, standing from the bed.

"Okay, let's say I did have your stupid journal. How'd you get it back? It's against school rules to go into the other student's common rooms and dorms. How'd you find it?"

"I. Have. My. Ways." she said stonily. "So tell me, exactly how much did you read in that journal, hmm?" she asked. "I hope you found out all you wanted." By now, Snape was furious. He walked right up to her, all six foot two inches of him dwarfing her five foot frame.

"I found out some rather interesting facts, yes." he said. "Like how you know about Lupin's lycanthropy. And how your parents are both wolves. Can I draw a safe conclusion that you are also one of those filthy beasts?" Sable glared at the boy and shook her head.

"If I were a wolf, would I be standing here arguing with you right now?" she asked icily. Her palms were itching to wipe that ridiculous smirk off of his face. "No, I'd be ripping you to shreds, just like you so well deserve it."

"Or, maybe you would be holed up in that special room of your off of the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor." he said. Sable flinched. He knew about her room. "Or did you use one of those passageways that leads from the Common Rooms to your own room."

"Maybe I didn't feel like being in there right now." she said smoothly. No point in denying it. She just wish she'd known how much she had written. She also realized that she would need to seal off the passageways from the other entrances in the Common Rooms.

"Yes, I can see the problem. Lupin couldn't get to you for a quick shag if you were all by yourself. Tell me, does he stay with you at night to keep you from getting lonely?" Snape pressed sarcastically.

"No, he doesn't as a matter of fact." she replied evenly. "Unlike some of the girls in your House, I can keep my pants up and my legs closed."

"Yes, Flint did seem rather annoyed at that revelation." Snape said, beginning to circle her like some type of predator. "He thought you'd be a rather pleasing conquest." Sable closed her eyes and tried to keep her temper in check. She could kill him with her bare hands right now, and she knew it.

"What do you want, Snape?" she finally said, opening her eyes. The boy was standing awful close to her. 

"I want to know if you realize you are on the wrong side of this fight?" he growled. Sable gave him a wry grin and nodded.

"I know exactly where I stand, thank you." she said primly. Snape closed in on her and grabbed her shoulders. Sable, trying to tamp down her running animal instincts, growled at him.

"Feisty, aren't we, Robbins?" he teased. "The werewolf must like it."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she retorted. Snape smiled and shook his head.

"I will know, soon." he said. "You've been promised to me, whether you know it or not." Sable looked at him carefully, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

"You don't want me." she said. "If you can't stand Lupin, you'd never stand me. We're too much alike, other than the lycanthropy part. You couldn't handle me."

"Oh, yes I could." he said, holding her tighter.

"Get away from me, Snape." she hissed. 

"What are you going to do about it?" he said, sliding his hands down her shoulders, pining her arms to her.

"You don't want to know, I promise." she threatened. "Now let me go."

"No." he said. Sable looked up at him and frowned.

"Yes." she said. With that, she used her abnormal strength to pull out of his grasp and punch him in the face. He staggered backwards and his hand went to his nose. He pulled away when he felt something warm, wet, and sticky on his hand. His nose was bleeding

"You bitch!" he hissed. "What are you?"

"A very pissed off woman." she said evenly, the smell of blood was overwhelming and she didn't like it one bit. "We tend to get a little violent when men are stubborn. You'll see we do things like that for your own good." Snape looked murderous, but Sable's glare won out. 

"You're not human, Robbins." he hissed.

"Prove it." she said icily. She began to walk closer to him, but he backed up. The gleam in her eyes was enough to scare the living daylights out of any man, even him. He doubted if even Dumbledore would have been able to withstand its intensity. As before, she looked ready to kill. He backed up and turned to go out the ward.

"Running, Snape?" she questioned with her silky voice. "Surely the Slytherin king isn't intimidated by the little Gryffindor." Snape turned back and glared at her.

"You're not human, Robbins. There's something different about you. You may not be a wolf, but you're not normal." he said stonily. "And I intend to find out what it is."

"Your getting in over your head, Severus Snape." she said. "You keep on and you're gonna get hurt."

"Is that a threat or a promise?." he growled.

"It's a guarantee." she replied evenly. Snape looked back at the girl and said nothing, just walked out of the ward. Sable watched him go. She was fighting to keep from tearing his throat out and throwing the corpse from the top of the Astronomy Tower. When she heard his footsteps end, she went back to the window. Another howl went up, accompanied by the howl and barking of a dog. Sable nodded, as though to accept the message. Everything was okay, minus the fact that she wanted to kill Severus Snape at the moment. She walked over to the lavatory and washed her face with some water. When she looked in the mirror she went week in the knees. She hadn't changed her eyes back to their normal violet color since Remus had left. _'Oh, shit.'_ was all she could think. 

Down in the dungeons, Severus Snape sat at his desk and contemplated Sable's reactions and temperaments. The most astounding thing was the color of her eyes. Unlike normal, they had been the same color of amber Lupin's usually turned. _'But she's not a wolf.' _He argued with himself. _'This doesn't make any sense. She exudes the temperamental disposition of a wolf, she has abnormal strength, and her eyes are different, but she didn't change during the full moon.' _He rubbed his eyes and tried to calm down. Something just wasn't panning out here. '_Maybe I need sleep. That could be what's going on. I was hallucinating and the dark room caused her eyes to look a different color._' He went to bed, fighting with himself as to whether Sable Robbins was indeed a were-wolf, or just a pissed off woman who was P.M.Sing this week.

**__**

A/N - Okay. How was that chappy? Hope you liked it. Remember to leave me a review telling me what you thought about it. Later.


	23. Chapter 23

**__**

Disclaimer- If it was mine, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. Anything you recognize, except for Sable, is the property of Rowling. As much as I hate to admit it.

Sleep, Peaceful Sleep

When the rays of sunlight woke Remus, he was startled to find that, instead of the dingy and dirty walls of the Shrieking Shack, he was in the hospital wing of the school. He shook his head again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. _'What am I doing here?'_ he thought, _'How'd I get in here?'_ His questions were short lived however, when Madame Pomfrey came bustling into sight.

"Ah, you're awake, Mr. Lupin." she said cheerfully, "Very good. I must say, you gave me quiet a scare this morning." Remus frowned as she began to check for scars. He was in the hospital wing, and James, Sirius, and Peter were no where in sight.

"What am I doing here? The last thing I remember, I......." The nurse was looking at him curiously, but she said nothing. She continued on with her examination and soon stepped back, sighing in satisfaction.

"Well, Mr. Lupin." she said. "As I said, there seems to be no damage to you. However, you did scare us this morning. When we found you, I was so relieved. I didn't know what to think."

"Found me? Where was I?" he asked.

"You were passed out on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, dear. I found you when I went down there after you didn't show up for breakfast."

"Breakfast? What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost noon." she said absently. She frowned but said nothing else about the manner. "I want you to go to bed. No classes for you today. That change must have been rougher than usual. You're much more tense. And I dare say you are much more sore than usual. I'll inform the Headmaster that you are excused from classes for the day." she said matter of factly.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied. Pomfrey nodded and left the closed off area in a hurry. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and grimaced as sharp pains coursed through his beaten body.

"Ouch! Damn it to Hell!!" he muttered as he tried to get out of the bed. "What's wrong with me!" He managed to stand up when he sensed someone else coming. Since his senses waxed and waned with the full moon, he quickly picked up Sable's scent.

"Moony? You awake?" she whispered quietly, not wanting to wake him if he still slumbered.

"Yeah," he hissed, "I'm up. Although I'm beginning to wish I wasn't." Sable pulled back the privacy curtain and took a quick look over him. 

He didn't look any worse for wear, but she could tell he was majorly sore. She moved next to him and put one of his arms around her shoulder.

"Lean on me." she ordered. "We need to get you up to the Common Room before the others freak out. Pomfrey's let you go, right?" 

"Yeah." he said. He was confused. Sable looked like she was half dead. There were dark circles under her eyes and she look like she had been crying. Her normally sleek black hair was gathered up into a messy ponytail. "What's going on, Sable?" He asked quietly.

"I'll explain everything when we get to the Tower." she answered quickly. Remus, still a bit dazed, nodded and began to limp out of the ward. When they got to the Common Room, there was no one is sight. He sighed and shook his head. _'Where are James and the others? They never leave me alone after the changes.'_ he thought. It was nearly noon, and on a Monday at that. All the other students would be in class. Sable helped him through the room. And as soon as he got to it, Remus plunked down on one of the couches.

"No, Remus." she said. "You need to get to your dorm." He looked peeved, but didn't say anything rash.

"Why can't I stay here?" he asked crankily.

"Because the others are waiting in your dorm." she said.

"What?"

"Just come on." she said. Remus frowned and got up from the couch. They got to the boy's dorm and Remus found Sirius and James sitting on their beds, waiting anxiously for them.

"Moony!" Sirius said. "About time you woke up."

"What happened, guys? Why'd I wake up in the hospital wing?" he asked.

"I'm about to explain that." Sable said. "But right now, you need to get to bed." Remus grinned and flopped down onto his own queen sized bed. Sirius and James sat down on their own beds and nodded.

"Okay boys, here's the deal." Sable said. "I've got questions and I need answers. But since I wasn't there last night, you will have to help me out." The three boys nodded, but Remus was still confused.

"Guys, what happened last night?" he asked. "Is everyone okay? Where's Peter?"

"He and Lily are gone to class." James said. Remus nodded.

"They're fine, Moony." Sirius said.

"Then what's the problem." he asked.

"I almost killed you last night!" Sable yelled suddenly. "That's what!"

"Huh?" Remus asked. James stood up and put his hands on Sable's shoulders, causing her pacing to stop.

"We've already went through this." he said. "You didn't try to kill him. It was a mistake."

"Yes, I did, James." she said. "I'm so stupid. Remus, I'm sorry. I didn't think, and it almost cost you your life. Merlin, I'm stupid. Please, forgive me."

"Okay, I forgive you." Remus shrugged. "But will someone please tell me what's going on? I'm fine over here." Sable nodded and sat down at the nearest desk.

"Okay, fine," she said. "Remus, what do you remember from last night?" The boy frowned and tried to recall the memories of the night. He had a fleeting picture of the inside of the Shack, and the pain of the change.

"I remember getting through the tunnel and into the Shack." he said. "I also remember drinking the potion.... and then the change, but that's it." Sable seemed to be on the verge of tears. She stood and frowned.

"Is that all, Remus?" she asked. "You don't remember anything else, anything at all? No matter how small it is, tell me." Remus closed his eyes and concentrated hard, trying to draw up the images.

Eyes.

He remembered eyes. Purple eyes.....Sable's eyes.

"I remember seeing you." he said.

"But she wasn't there last night." Sirius said.

"Sorry, but that's all I can remember." he answered. Sable was almost hysterical.

"Do you remember anything immediately after you changed?" she asked earnestly.

"What is this, a game of 20 Questions?" Remus asked, annoyed.

"No, you moron!" Sable snapped angrily, "I'm trying to find out if I gave you any permanent brain damage last night! Now answer the question, damn it!!" Remus jumped back at the venom in her voice. He closed his eyes and tried to remember something after the pain subsided, but nothing came to him immediately. Suddenly, he saw a rat being chased around the Shack. It looked like Sirius the dog was about to seriously hurt Peter the rat. He grinned to himself and chuckled. Then a picture of the same rat and dog, only this time with a stag near them. He remembered getting up from the floor, and thinking about the other Marauders. He smiled again and Sable brought him back to reality.

"What is it, Remus?" she asked. "Do you remember something? Tell me."

"I remember seeing you guys standing there when I stood up." Remus said, pointing to the other two boys. "I...... nodded..... to you and then Sirius started jumping up and down and barking. James bowed to me, like he knew what I was thinking." Sable looked extremely pleased and urged him to continue. "I remember something I loved......." he broke off suddenly and blushed. 

"What?" Sable asked. "What did you think?"

"I remember thinking that I loved being able to think like a human even though I was still in my wolf form." he said. Sable smiled and nodded.

"Good. Good. The potion worked." She said. "Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Sirius was chasing Peter around the room." he said. "You didn't hurt him, did you Padfoot?"

"No. Just scared him a bit." Sirius grinned. "He was getting annoying last night."

"Okay, James, approximately what time was it when Sirius and Peter were doing this?"

"About five this morning." James answered. "Right before dawn. It was about half an hour before Moony passed out."

"I passed out?" Remus asked.

"Yes. That's why you don't remember changing back or coming into the hospital this morning, or me coming to the Shack early this morning." Sable said.

"Yeah, one minute, you're lying on the floor with a goofy grin on your face. Then, the next, you're out cold turkey." Sirius said "We didn't know what had happened."

"Well, what did happen? Why'd I just pass out?" he asked.

"Because I'm an idiot!!" Sable said.

"You're no idiot." Remus said.

"Yes, I am." she said. "I didn't think when I gave you that potion yesterday."

"So, what happened?"

"Remus, when I gave you the Wolfsbane Potion, I forgot that you still had some of the pain reduction potion from the last month in you system. You remember the one that knocked you out all night."

"Okay."

"Well, here's a question for you, Remus." Sable said. "The main ingredient in Wolfsbane Potion is the leaves of a Wolfsbane plant. The main ingredient in a pain reduction potion is Monkswood. Both plants are highly caustic if mixed together. Are you getting the picture??" she asked. Remus, still groggy from the change, shook his head.

"They're only caustic if you mix them in water." he said sleepily. "I didn't drink any water after I took it. Didn't have time to." Sable growled n frustration.

"Babe," she said sarcastically, "What's seventy percent of your body made up of?"

"Testosterone?" Sirius volunteered happily, trying to lighten up the tenseness in the room. Sable glared at him, but James snickered.

"Water." she said icily. "The two plants mixed in your bloodstream, along with the water present in your body. Because of the lycanthropy your body held off the reaction time. But it became too much and you passed out."

"So why were you so worried?" People pass out all of the time." Remus said.

"When Wolfsbane and Wormwood, another pain reducer that was present the in the potion I gave you last month, are mixed together and taken in powder form, they can cause memory loss. But, because the Wolfsbane Potion that I gave you wasn't full strength, I don't think that part affected you."

"That potion wasn't full strength?" James asked.

"No, I watered it down because I didn't know how he would react to it. But it's a blessing in disguise. If I had given him he whole thing, he could be dead right now."

"Okay, that explains some of it. Now how'd I get into the castle?"

"When you passed out, I came back up here and got Sable from the hospital wing." Sirius said. "We brought her down here and she checked you out. That's when she realized what she had done."

"We stayed with you until Pomfrey came to get you." James said. "Peter went on to class to keep things from looking too suspicious. How he's going to stay awake, I don't know."

"The boys have been up here since then, waiting for you to wake up." Sable said. "I was discharged from the hospital wing after breakfast. I stayed as long as I could, but Pomfrey wanted an explanation, so I just hung around in the hallways until you finally slept the effects of the potion off."

"Well, everything is okay now." Remus said. "The only thing that's wrong with me is soreness. And I think some sleep will take care of that." James yawned and stretched his hands above his head.

"Sleep sounds good." he said sleepily. "In fact, I'm going to take a quick shower and I'm going to take a nap. No practice this evening, and the day is half over, so no point in going to class now." Sirius nodded and stood up also.

"I'm going to grab some food, then I'm sleeping until tomorrow. " he said gruffly. "I'll be back soon. You guys want anything to eat while I'm gone?" They declined, and James followed him out the door, leaving Sable and Remus alone.

"I'd better be going, too." she muttered. "After that visit from Snape, and then the mess with you, I'm to pooped to pop." She turned to leave, but Remus topped her.

"Snape was up there again?" he growled. "What for this time?"

"I don't know. Maybe he wanted to see if I was walking around on all four legs and wagging a tail." she grimaced.

"Did he tell you how much he knew?" Remus asked.

"No. But he knows enough." she said. "He knows about my parents, my laboratory, you , and the Celtic book I got the Wolfsbane Potion from."

"But not you?"

"He suspects it." she said, rubbing her swollen, sleep red eyes. "But I think he didn't read the whole journal." She sat down at a chair and put her head in her hands. Wet tears began to slip through her fingers, and Remus heard her start to whimper. He got off his bed and walked over to her, wincing every time he moved.

"Hey. Come on now. Don't cry, Sable." he whispered, stooping down to be eye lever with her. "Everything will be okay." By now, she was openly sobbing.

"I almost killed you, Remus." she said sadly. "How is that okay? Now, I'm going to be locked up for taking that book. Snape knows about my parents, and he suspects me. Not to mention, he know about my laboratory. Now none of my work is safe. I've ruined so much stuff. I'm so stupid.....Why didn't I think about this stuff before now? Merlin, what have I done?" She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. Remus stood up and pulled her up from the chair to face him.

"You listen to me." he said. "Ninety percent of those problems can be easily remedied."

"But...I..."

"Hold on." he said, hugging her tight. "You've done too much good to put yourself through this. You need some sleep before you go off the deep end." She pulled out of his arms with a grimace and sat down on his bed.

"I couldn't sleep. My mind is in a jangle."

"Fine, don't sleep." he said. "But I'm not leaving you by yourself in this kind of mood. There's no telling what you'll do." He sat on his bed beside her and sighed.

"Go to sleep, Remus." Sable said. "I'm not going to go anywhere until Sirius gets back."

"Lot of good that'll do. He's a heavier sleeper than I am." Remus said.

"Be that as it may," she said, "it'll make me feel better."

"Suit yourself." he said, rolling over on his side, his back facing her. "But I'm going to sleep. If you're gonna stay here until Pads gets back, you might as well get comfortable. There's no telling how long he'll take."

"Okay." She said quietly. She pushed herself up against the headboard of the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. Remus seemed to be too tired to notice. _'I'll stay here until Sirius gets back.'_ she thought. _'Then I'll go get some sleep myself.'_ For the next five minutes, she battled with herself to keep her eyes open and functioning. She finally gave up. _'I'll rest my eyes for a few minutes.'_ she told herself. _'Sirius will be back soon. Then I can go.'_

When Sirius came back twenty minutes later, he found Remus asleep on his bed and Sable sitting up against the headboard, fast asleep. He smiled and walked over to the bed. He picked the girl up and carefully laid her next to his sleeping friend. Now, instead of being all bunched up, she was lying down. Sirius grinned again, and pulled the curtains around the bed.

"Sweet dreams, kiddies." he said as he climbed into his own bed to catch up on much needed rest. 

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Later on that night, Remus was awaken from his peaceful slumber by the soft murmurs of the girl lying next to him. He rolled over and nearly jumped out of his own skin when he saw Sable lying there. _'Wait a minute! What's she still doing in here?'_ he thought anxiously, _' It's the middle of the night, for Merlin's sake. She should be back in her own dorm.'_ His mind flitted back to the evening before. And he frowned. _'She was waiting for Sirius to get back before she left me.'_ he thought. _'She must have fallen asleep. And leave it to Padfoot to make it a point not to wake either of us up.'_ He shifted his weight again and looked down at the girl. She was sleeping peacefully and he could tell that she really didn't want to be woke up. _'I guess she can stay here for the night.'_ he thought. _'It's not like Sirius doesn't know she's here.'_ He reached over and pulled the curtains around the bed open. He glanced towards James' bed, hoping the boy had slept in the Head's dorms tonight. He was in luck, the curtains were still open. 

"Well, Ms. Robbins," he whispered. "If you're sleeping in my bed, I'm staying in James'. No telling what would happen if I stayed this close to you all night." He slowly got out of bed and was about to pull the curtains shut on his own bed when he heard Sable's murmur again. She turned over to the other side of the bed and shook her head. She was saying something, but Remus couldn't make out what it was. _'She's having a nightmare.'_ he thought grimly. He debated on whether or not to wake her up. Her thrashing was getting worse and there was sweat on her forehead. He finally decided to try to wake her up. He pulled out his wand and got back into his own bed. He pulled the curtains shut and cast a silencing charm around them. "No use in waking up everyone." he said quietly. He reached out and took a hold of her shoulder, gently shaking her. "Sable. Sable, wake up." he said. "You're having a nightmare. Get up, already." 

Suddenly, she sat straight up in bed and stared at Remus like he was a ghost. There was sweat on her forehead and her pulse was racing. She blinked rapidly and rubbed her eyes as if ascertaining that Remus was still there.

"Remus?" she asked. "Remus? Is that you? Really you?" Remus nodded and frowned.

"Yeah, it's me." he said. "Are you okay, Sable? You were thrashing about pretty bad. Bad dream, I'm guessing?" Sable nodded and shook her head. Tears started to glisten in her eyes and Remus was confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Why are you crying?" She sniffled and shook her head.

"I was dreaming that I had killed you." she said quietly. "You had died because of a complications with the Wolfsbane Potion. And it was all my fault." She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked gently as the salty tears began to stream down her face. Remus, not liking it when she was upset, put his arms around her and hugged her.

"Hey, I'm okay." he said soothingly. "The potion worked fine. I'm not dead, and I'm not even sick. So don't get so worried. Everything is going to be okay." Sable snuggled down into his embrace and eventually stopped crying. 

"I don't want to hurt you, Remus." she whispered after a while. "I don't want to lose you again." Remus was surprised to hear her words, but it made him feel better that his feelings were returned. 

"You can't hurt me." he said with a wry smile. "It's not in your programming to hurt me." Sable chuckled and looked up at him.

"I wouldn't hurt you on purpose." she said. "But accidents do happen, and last night was a time when.........."

"I don't want to hear you being insecure about your own work." Remus stated firmly. "I trust you enough to take the potion. Now stop with the personal beratings." Sable frowned and snuggled down closer to him.

"Remus," she asked quietly, "what time is it?" Remus looked down at his watch.

"It's a little after midnight." he said. "Why?" He felt as she stiffened up when he answered. 

"Then I guess I had better get to my dorm. We have classes in the morning." she said. She pulled out of his hug and pushed the comforter off of herself. Remus, still suffering from the after affects of the full moon, let loose a low growl when she stood up. Tension was running so high between the two teens that it could have been cut with a knife. He didn't want her to go anywhere, at least not right now, and she knew it.

"You don't need to be roaming the halls this late." he said. Sable gave him a quizzical look and cocked her head to one side, a small smile threatening to escape.

"This coming from someone who gets under and invisibility cloak and trapezes around campus all night." she said with a slight grin. Remus bristled, realizing how much he sounded like a hypocrite.

"I don't think it would be good for you to go back to your dorm now that Snape knows about the passageways." he said, full of frustration. "He might be down there right now, waiting for you. You don't know what that maniac is capable of doing." Sable frowned and shook her head. 

"Remus, I can't stay here tonight." she said sadly, looking down at the floor.

"Why not?" he asked. "I'm not going to hurt you. And Pads and Wormtail are already asleep." Thanks to the darkness of the room, he didn't see the red flush of Sable's cheeks.

"I just can't." she said. "I.....I don't.....It's just not a good idea. What if Sirius or Peter wake up and find me in here?" she fished for an excuse. 

" I have a feeling Sirius is the one that overlooked your occupancy earlier." Remus said with a grin. "As for Peter, don't worry about him. He's used to seeing Sirius' girlfriends come and go."

"Remus...." she said desperately, trying to find a way out. She knew what was happening. The full moon was still affecting her, and she wanted to be closer to Remus. But she couldn't let that happen. If she went with what her hormones were telling her, she'd jump right back into bed with him, and to Hell with whatever happened. But she didn't trust herself in this state. And staying in the same room with Remus was not helping her to think clearly. _'Damn hormones!!'_ she thought.

"Look," he said huskily, "you stay here and I'll go sleep in James' bed." He knew she was thinking along the same lines as him, but he didn't want to scare her. She understood what he was feeling, and the territorial instincts were kicking in again. She was trying to get away, so his natural instinct was to chase her. 

"I don't think that's a good idea, Remus." she said. She knew what was going on. Every time her parents changed, her father wouldn't let her mom or her out of his sight for at least two days afterwards. It was the whole 'my territory' thing over again, only this time with her and Remus. "Neither of us is going to get any sleep if I stay here, and you know it." 

"I can promise you that I'm not going to sleep any if you go back down to your dorm, either." he said finally. "Snape could be down there right now. He read the journal, Sable. He knows about the passages. Just stay here tonight and we'll go to make sure that the passages are sealed off tomorrow. Then you can go back. Just, please don't go back down there tonight." Sable sat back down on his bed and sighed. 

"If I didn't know any better, Mr. Lupin." she said. "I'd think you were trying to find a way to keep me up here." Once again, thanks to the darkness, the flush that crept up was not visible.

"Be that as it may, I still don't want you down there tonight." Remus growled. She knew that he had a point. There was no telling what Snape was up to. And she really didn't want to find out in the middle of the night. Remus was right, as usual. _'Oh well,'_ she thought, _'at least I can make the best of it.'_

"Okay, fine." she conceded. "But I'm doing this against my better judgment. I just want you to know that." Remus nodded and got up, ready to go to James' bed.

"Good," he said. "If Snape was down there and he'd have hurt you. I'd have killed him." Sable smiled and crawled back under the blankets. Remus turned around and reached to pull the curtains back.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"What?" Remus turned around and looked at her like she was crazy.

"Don't give me that innocent play, Remus Lupin." she said. "You know as well as I do that you are not going to sleep a wink in James' bed. So you might as well just stay here." She scooted over and pointed next to her. 

"Sable, now I don't think that's such a good idea." he said. _'You're playing with fire, Sable. Back down before you get burned.'_ he thought.

"Look, if you're anything like my father - and I'm beginning to believe you are - you don't anymore want to sleep over there than I want you to." she said simply. 

"Sable, you're pushing the line here." he growled. 

"Remus, think about it. We both slept here all evening and everything was fine. It's the nearness to each other. Our minds are still thinking like wolves, not humans. Wolves run in packs, not alone. They're like a huge family. They eat together, sleep together, hunt together. The more you isolate yourself from others like you, the worse it gets." she said heatedly. " I trust you Remus. You're not going to hurt me. You forget my parents are just like you; I go through this all the time. And if you trust me as much as you keep telling me, you'll listen to me. Now, unless you want to spend the rest of the night tossing and turning in that bed, I suggest you grab another blanket and come to sleep." she said with finality. She turned over and covered herself up with the comforter, leaving Remus with his own decision. 

Remus, on the other hand, was having the worst internal battle he had ever faced. He wanted to sleep next to her, but he was afraid of hurting her. _'Does she realize what she's asking me to do?'_ he thought. But, she did have a point. If he tried to sleep in James' bed, he would only toss and turn, knowing she was over there. _' I hate it when she's right! Oh, what the Hell. It's not like she doesn't know what's going on in my head. She's probably just trying to make me feel better.'_ he rationalized. He pushed back the curtains from the bed and walked out.

Sable heard him push the curtains back and walk away. _'Well, I tried to make him feel a little better.'_ she thought. _'It's not my fault if he can't sleep. Really, what's the point of me staying in here if he still doesn't get any sleep?'_ She closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep herself. About five minutes later, she felt when someone sink down next to her. Remus spread to other blanket around him and laid down next to her. Sable waited until she heard him begin to breath evenly before she turned over and looked at him.

"We're driving each other nuts, Remus." she whispered, "And there's little or nothing we can do about it because we're too scared of hurting each other in the process." He just murmured incoherently and reached out to her. Sable, not wanting him to wake again, snuggled down into his embrace and was soon fast asleep herself. 

**The next morning…**

Remus stirred from his bed when he heard Sirius wake up and groan about having to go to class. In his half-sleep, half-dream state, he reached out for where Sable had slept. Only when he found nothing did his eyes pop open and he realized that she was gone. He sat up straight and looked around. 

She was gone. 

He shook his head in dejection and pulled open the curtains around his bed. Sirius was already awake and rummaging through his wardrobe to find a uniform that was clean. _'I should have known she wouldn't stay any longer than she had to.' _he thought sadly. He shook his head and climbed out of bed._ 'At least I got a decent night's sleep out of the whole mess.'_ he thought. As soon as stepped out of the confines of his bed, Sirius turned on him with a saccharine sweetness that nearly caused him to puke.

"Sleep good last night, Moony?" he asked with a grin. "Didn't hear a peep out of you all night." Remus controlled his instinctive, sarcastic response that was bubbling to emerge and instead nodded his head towards the taller boy.

"'Morning to you too, Padfoot." he said firmly. He pulled out some clothes and decided to forgo a bath this morning. It was already late and he didn't want to be late for his first class of the day. Sirius watched him as he silently began to dress for class.

"You okay, Moony?" he asked, wondering why he was acting so cold. "I know you're not a morning person, but...."

"I'm fine, Padfoot." he said. _'I'm just thinking of numerous ways of committing suicide at the moment. But other than that, I'm freaking peachy!'_ He finished dressing and was about to leave the dorm when Sirius stopped him again.

"Moony," he said, "What's wrong with you?" Remus looked up at his friend and frowned.

"Pads, I have a lot on my mind right now. Just leave me be for a while." He answered solemnly. Sirius nodded and frowned.

" Whatever you need, Moony." he said. "But I just wanted you to get this before you left. Sable put it on my night stand to give to you if you woke up." Sirius handed him a piece of folded up parchment and shrugged. "I'll meet you in class. Later." He pulled open the door to the dorm and left out. Remus looked down at the paper and frowned. _'What's so important that she had to give the note to Sirius. I would have found it when I woke up.'_ He sat down on his bed and unfolded the note.

__

Remus,

Hey, I hope you're feeling better this morning. I'm sealing off the passages to the other Common Rooms from my room this morning before classes start (just like I promised I would), so if I don't show up for breakfast, don't be angry. I'm not trying to avoid you are anything. 

Umm, about last night. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fallen asleep after everything happened. It was irresponsible of me to put you in that position. I don't know what to say other than I'm sorry. I don't want things to be awkward between us, and last night was about as awkward as it gets. _So, please, accept my apology. I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again. Like I said before, I'm really sorry. And it's all my fault._

I'll see you later. It's early and you, Sirius, and Pete are still asleep. Don't get mad that I gave the letter to Sirius. You never look on your night stand anyway, (according to Padfoot) I'd have left it there, you probably wouldn't have got it. I've got to go now. I'll see you later.

Bye, Sable

Remus gritted his teeth and crushed the letter in his hands. _'That girl is impossible!!'_ he thought. _'She's trying to take the blame for all of this mess. What does she think she's doing?'_ He got up from his bed, grabbed his books and stormed down the stairs to the Common Room. He slipped behind the stairway when no one was looking and opened the portrait that led down the corridor to her room. It took him no time before he was standing in front of the entrance to her room. He pushed on the door, expecting it to open.

It didn't budge an inch.

He tried again, figuring it was stuck.

Once again, it didn't give.

He looked at the portrait in anger. 

"She's locked to entrance into her room!" he exclaimed to no one in particular. "What does she think she's trying to pull?" He turned on his heels and left the corridor in a huff, intent on finding the girl and beating some sense into her head if that is what it took to make her see reason. He was a werewolf, so was she. Whatever was said between the two of them was not her fault alone. "She's bloody crazy!" he muttered. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the entrance, Sable was sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes were red and bloodshot because of the excessive amount of crying she had done since she had left the boy's dorms this morning. She had heard Remus at the portrait and put a spell on the picture so it wouldn't budge. She had already sealed off the entrance to the other common rooms, but she didn't want to see him at the moment. 

She had screwed up, big time. Staying with Remus had been a big mistake. She had said some things that didn't need to be said, and done some things that didn't need to be done. She punched her pillow and cried. _'Why me?'_ she asked her self for the thousandth time since she had awoken, _'Why did I have to be cursed to carry this burden my whole life. Now, the one person who is remotely like me will be avoiding me like the plague. I mean, Merlin, friends don't sleep in the same bed with each other. What was I thinking? I know what I was thinking. I was thinking that it was time to loose logic and follow my feelings. Humph. Fat chance on that one. I do, and look where it leads me. Straight to a guilt trip because I let my guard down and let him through. Now, I've probably lost Remus for good. God, what was I thinking? Neither one of us were thinking with our heads last night. Can someone say RAGING HORMONES!!!! And the sad part is that we didn't do anything. Lord knows what I'd do to myself if we ever done anything else.'_ She got up off of her bed and threw on a uniform, intent on skipping breakfast and going straight to her first class.

'_At least he didn't push you away.'_ came an annoyingly familiar voice in the back of her head. Sable groaned and tried to repress it. No such luck was with her though. 

"Go away." she muttered. "I don't need an attack of my conscience this morning."

'_I'm not going away.' _it answered, _'at least not until we get some things straight_.'

" I said. GO. AWAY!" she said out loud.

__

'No gonna happen, sister.' it said firmly. _'I've had enough of this. You've been back at school for over a month. And the whole time, you've found a million and one reasons to keep yourself distanced from Remus.'_

"And up until now, everyone of them has worked." she muttered, gathering up her books.

__

'Not everyone of them.' it said firmly. _'I do remember a few scenes when he got through to you. Namely in the Head's common room and outside on the Pitch.'_

"Lay off of me." she said. "I don't need this right now."

__

'You're right, you know.' it retorted. _'Right now, you need to go find Remus and tell him what's going on. You love the boy for Merlin's sake. Why can't you just admit to it already?" _

"Because I'm afraid." she said quietly. "I'm afraid of getting hurt."

__

'How many times do I have to tell you that he's not going to hurt you?' it asked.

"I think the current count is up to around 2,347." she said sarcastically, "but I could be wrong."

__

'Listen to yourself, Sable.' it said. _'Why don't you give him a chance. If he didn't like you, you wouldn't have stayed in that room last night, and especially not in his bed!'_

"I'm telling you," she shouted, "it was hormones. He doesn't like me like that."

__

'What about earlier this year, when you were in here brewing the potion and he tried to tell you something. You sent him to James, Sirius, and Peter for advice. You know why you did that?' it asked.

"Because he was confusing me with all that double talk." she retorted.

__

'Ank,' it said. _'Wrong answer. Sorry, try again.'_

"Then why?"

__

'Because you were afraid that he was going to say something to corner you. Something that would force you to re-examine the way you think and what you feel. You were afraid that he was going to say something that you couldn't turn around or rationalize the wrong way. You were scared of the truth that he may actually like you as more than a friend.'

"Bullshit!" she said. "You're freakin' insane!!"

"I know." came a deep voice from behind her. "But it's never been clinically proven, so I don't admit to it." Sable whirled around and was face to face with James Potter. He didn't look too happy to see her. "Of course, it could come from having friends like Sirius. That would drive anyone off the deep end." he grinned. Sable managed a weak smile before turning around again, forcing James to look at her back instead of her tear stained face.

__

'Later, babe.' the little voice said._ 'You think about what I said.'_

"What are you doing in here, James?" she asked on a somewhat even voice. "I figured you would be down at breakfast by now." 

"I already finished." he said. "But thanks for asking."

"Not a problem." she said quietly. "Is there something I can do for you?" 

"Actually, that's why I came down here." he said calmly. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Sirius told me that you fell asleep in the boy's dorms last night. I just wanted to make sure you were okay enough to go to class." Sable bristled at the reminder, but said nothing that could have been mis-interpreted. 

"I'm fine, James." she said. "I was just tired last night. I know the girls aren't supposed to be up there. And I'm sorry. Just do whatever you have to and please leave. I'm trying to get ready for class." She sniffled and looked down at the floor. She felt it when the Head Boy walked closer to her and placed a brotherly hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not going to do anything." he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were up to coming to class this morning. I already ran into Remus, and he didn't look like he was in such a good mood. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Sable nodded and shook her head.

"Really, James." she insisted, "I'll be down in a few minutes." 

"Okay." he said. "We'll be waiting for you." Sable nodded and heard as he walked out of the door and the portrait clicked shut. Sable waited until he was gone before taking out her wand and casting a charm to rid herself of the puffy, swollen eyes and black circles. She surveyed herself in the mirror and sighed.

"Well, that's as good as it is going to get." she muttered. She gathered up her books and walked out of her room, intent on ignoring Remus for the rest of the day, and week if possible.

♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧Later on that day, right before lunch....♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧

Sirius, Remus, and James were sitting in Defense class, waiting for the bell to ring. It had been a hectic day, and all three were ready to get the day over with and get some more rest. James pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled a note to Sirius:

__

Sirius, is it just me, or is Moony in one heck of a bad mood. Is it because of Sable? 

He passed to note to the boy and waited for a response. A few minutes later, Sirius inconspicuously dropped the note on his desk on his way to the trash bin.

__

I don't know, Prongs. Sable spent the night in the dorms last night, but I don't think they fought or anything. She was up and gone before any of us woke up this morning. 

James scribbled down a response and slipped the note back to the desk behind him where Sirius sat.

__

Those two are driving me nuts. This whole having two of them around at the full moon is driving me crazy. I talked to Lils and she said that Sable is not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. I don't know what's going on, but I went to make sure that she was okay this morning after I talked to Moony and she had been crying. You know anything about that? 

Sirius shook his head and looked over to Remus, who was staring at him with a curious expression. He just smiled and looked back down at the parchment before mouthing 'prank'. Remus grinned and nodded, turning his attention back to his notes.

__

Me thinks that Moony is in denial over a certain raven-haired potions mistress. I think the affects of the full moon didn't help his little infatuation with the girl. 

Sirius passed the note back and shook his head. James scribbled something down and gave it back.

__

And me thinks you are right. They are going to the Halloween ball together. Maybe there is some hope for them yet. 

The bell rang and the boys packed up their things and headed to lunch. They met Lily and Arabella halfway there, no Sable in sight. Remus frowned and shook his head._ 'So much for not avoiding me.'_ he thought. They walked to the Great Hall and sat down to eat. All through lunch Remus would glance around, looking for the girl. When the bell rang for class to start again, he was the first one out of his seat and to the doors. They had History of Magic with the Ravenclaws next, which meant a class with Sable. She was usually in a hurry to get to class, so he nearly ran at breakneck speed to get there. When he arrived at the classroom, he expected to see her standing there talking to Professor Binns. No luck. 

Five minutes later, everyone else started to trickle in. He took his customary seat in the back, but didn't put his head down to sleep. Instead, he waited for her to come. They needed to talk and the sooner the better. Then, about thirty seconds before the tardy bell rang, Sable slipped into an empty desk...... on the other side of the room. Binns began to call roll, Remus cursed the gods that were working against him. He couldn't talk to her way over there. Binns started on a discussion and everyone immediately tuned him out.

Lily and James watched as their friend's temper began to rise to a very dangerous point. Sirius tapped them on the shoulder and made a cutting motion at his throat and pointed to Remus and Sable. Lily looked over at the girl. Her long hair was covering her face, but she sat straight up, her attention not wavering from the ghostly instructor. James nodded and looked over at Lily, who nodded. Sable needed someone to talk to, and everyone had a feeling that she would blow up at the boys. Arabella grinned and pulled a few Dungbombs out of her bag. _'This is going to be good.'_ she thought. At the same time, Sirius, Lily and James were whispering quietly to each other.

Remus was lost in his thoughts when a sudden explosion at the front of the classroom startled him. The majority of the sleeping class was thrown awake when the Dungbombs went off. A very stinky smell invaded the classroom and the students began to evacuate the classroom. Remus glanced over to his friends. Sirius was looking at Arabella with a grin and nodding. James looked over at Remus and shrugged. Pete, ever the sleeper, was still drooling on his desk...asleep to the world. But what surprised him the most as they ran out of the classroom was when Lily grabbed Sable by the neck of her robes and drug her around the corner. _'What is that red-head up to now?'_ he thought.

Sable struggled to stay on her feet as the taller girl drug her around the corner.

"Lily!" she said loudly. "Lily, let me go. I can walk on my own." The taller girl stopped and let her go. "Thank you. Now what's so important?" Lily grinned 

"Well, I wanted to catch you before you went back to your room." she said. "Me, Arabella, and Amanda are getting together tonight to figure out what costumes we're wearing to the ball. I told them about your gown and they want to know if you can all co-ordinate our costumes around yours and Remus'. I already asked him about it and he said it was okay. I just needed to get your okay before we go any further." Sable shrugged and nodded. 

"Yeah, sure. I don't care." she answered. "I'll welcome an evening of somewhat normality after these past few days."

"Good. Now there's one thing I need you to do." Lily said. "Can you bring your costume up to the Head's dorms this evening after your tutoring sessions? I wanted the girls to see it so they could get an idea of what I was talking about."

"Yeah, okay." Sable answered. "I'll cut my tutoring sessions short so I'll get there in time. Do you want me to bring the whole get-up, or just the dress?" Lily smiled and nodded. 

"The whole thing if you don't mind." Lily said.

"No problem." she said. Lily grinned and nodded.

"Good, now let's get back before Binns catches us." Sable nodded and turned around. Lily grinned and smirked. _'You two are going to be talking again if it's the last thing I do.'_

The rest of the day was uneventful for the troupe. The days classes ended and Sable went to the Great Hall to help some of the younger students with their homework. Sitting at the Gryffindor table were about ten kids of different Houses. Sable put a cheerful smile on her face and walked up to the children.

On the other side of the hall, in the shadows of the arches, another seventh year watched as the woman moved in between the younger students, helping them to understand the finer points of magic. He smiled. The girl really was some sort of wonder-woman. She was more at ease with the younger students than she was with her own friends. Especially today. It seemed as though she was once again shutting herself off from the Marauders. He watched as she stopped to sit down by one particular little boy. He had brown hair and seemed to need help more often than the others. Sable, the ever patient teacher, walked him through something. And when a bright smile lit the child's face, the boy knew she had showed him a better way of understanding the material. 

He glanced at the entrance of the Great Hall and was surprised to see Remus Lupin standing there, watching her in much the same fashion as he was. The boy grinned evilly when he saw Lupin tense up at the sound of Sable's light, airy laughter. It wasn't long after that, Lupin left. _'I don't know what that idiot did, but it's making my job easier.'_ the boy thought. He continued to watch the girl for a few more minutes before he went back down to the dungeons to his own dormitory. 

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈That evening, in the Head's dorms≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Lily waited patiently as Sable changed into her costume. Arabella and Amanda were sitting on the couches, talking about something or another. James and the others were at a Quidditch practice. Lily grinned as Sable walked out of the bathroom that was attached onto the common room. Sable walked out and stood in front of the girls. She grinned at the expression on their faces. Bella was speechless and Amanda's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"Well, what do you think?" Lily asked happily.

"I would ask does that come in my size?" Amanda said. Sable blushed and shook her head.

"I still say my parents went overboard." she answered. "But I'm not complaining." They smiled and got down to planning out the other costumes. Unbeknownst to the boys, the ladies were also planning their outfits also. Sable let the other girl's do Remus' costume. She didn't feel like having anything to do with him right now. Sable wanted to go take the dress off, but Lily insisted that she keep it on so she could model it for the others when they needed ideas. She didn't object, but she did wish they would hurry up.

Ten minutes after nine, Lily finally called a halt to the meeting. They all stood up and grinned. The costumes were planned and ready to go. Now all they needed was a trip to Hogsmeade to buy the needed items. Bella excused herself to the bathroom and the other girls quickly cleaned up the mess. There was a knock at the portrait and Sable glanced up at Lily with a curious glance.

"Oh, it's just James." she said. "I had to change the password today and I haven't given him the other one yet since he was at practice. Will you go let him in, Sable. We've kind of got our hands full." Sable shrugged and nodded. Lily and Amanda were juggling papers in their hand. She didn't want anyone to see her in the dress, but it was James. _'If he says anything stupid, I can always hex him.'_ she thought happily. She walked over to the portrait hole and pulled it open.

"James," she said, "Lily said she had to change........" Her eyes glazed over and she backed up when she saw who was standing at the entrance. It wasn't James.

It was Remus.

**__**

A/N - Okay people. How did I do. I know there are people out there who are probably waiting for Remus and Sable to get together. It's getting there, slowly but surely. I hope I got my point across about the loneliness that werewolves feel. I didn't want it to sound like they wanted pity, but… Well, you tell me. Leave me a review. Later.


	24. Chapter 24

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was. 

A/N - Hello again everyone. What are you guys up to? I hope you are enjoying the story. Things start to heat up here in a minute. Hope you have something cool to drink, cause the fists are about to fly. Well, I don't want to give anything away. So, enjoy.

Confrontation

When Remus opened the door, he was expecting to see Lily, not some angel from heaven. He blinked a couple of times to make sure he was seeing straight before trusting himself to speak.

"Uh...I'm looking for Lily." he said. "I have a message to give her from James. Is she in there?"

"Yes, Remus." Sable said quietly, stepping down from the doorway. "She's in here. Come on in." Remus blinked a few times and shook his head.

"Sable? That's you?" he asked shocked. The girl shook her head and frowned.

"Is there another one running around this school somewhere, that I'm not aware of?" she asked sarcastically. She walked over to the other side of the room and started taking the mask, crown, and jewelry off and placing them back in the boxes. Remus watched as she carefully tucked the jewels into their boxes before shutting the lids. Lily walked in and smiled.

"Remus? What are you doing here?." she asked. "Where's James?" The boy turned his head towards Lily and stared at her.

"Huh? What?" he asked. "Oh. James. Yeah. He said that they were going to be running practice a little longer tonight. He said to tell you he should be done in another half hour or so." Lily nodded and turned to the other girls. 

"I think that's all for tonight, girls." she said to the other girls. "We've got some good ideas of what we want to do now that Sable's showed us her costume. Now, we just have to wait until a Hogsmeade weekend to get what we need." The other two girls nodded and left through the doorway, saying their goodnights to Sable and Lily as they left. Lily looked over at Sable and shuffled some of the papers. "I'm going to put these in my room." she said. "I'll be back in a minute." Sable shook her head, wishing Remus would just go away and quit looking at her. She felt her skin crawl because she knew he was staring at her. _'Just go away, Remus.'_ she pleaded silently. _'Please, go away before I say something I don't need to.'_

Remus, on the other hand, was not budging. He stared at the girl, amazed that what she had on was a costume. The dress was clingy, but not enough to look trashy. The creamy white color set off her dark hair and eyes. She was beautiful. _'That's her costume for the ball?'_ he thought. _'The costume she's wearing when she goes with me. Oh, Merlin, I'm in for one Hellashish night.'_ He cleared his throat and Sable looked up at him, a guarded expression in her eyes.

"That's your costume for the ball?" he asked. Sable nodded and continued to remove the jewelry. The mask still covered her face, but that was probably a good thing since she was blushing furiously..

"Yeah, it is." she muttered. "My parents sent it to me a few days ago."

"It looks good on you." he said quietly.

"Thanks. I think." she said.

"Not a problem." he answered cautiously. Sable nodded and pulled the mask off of her face. Remus shook his head and walked over to her. Sable pulled back as he got closer to her. "I think we need to talk, Sable." He whispered.

"About what?" she answered evasively.

"Last night." Sable cringed and nearly dropped the mask.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked evenly. She just wanted to forget what had happened. Obviously, he didn't. "I thought I evened everything out in the note I left." She was starting to panic. 

"Why'd you leave?" he asked. "What'd I do to make you leave so early?" Sable turned her back to him and placed the mask in the box.

"I didn't want things to be awkward when you woke up." she answered truthfully. "I figured it would be better if I wasn't there since the whole mess was my fault anyways." 

"How do you figure it was your fault?" he asked.

"Well, I was the one that fell asleep in the dorm and......." she said. About that time, Lily emerged from her room. She smiled at the two like nothing was the matter and sat down at the couch, pulling out her books to do some homework. Sable looked up at Remus and shook her head. She grabbed her school uniform that was lying beside the box and quickly retreated to the bathroom to change out of the dress. Remus growled and walked over to the portrait hole, intent on going to Sable's room and waiting until she got back. _'We're going to get to the bottom of this, or die trying.'_ he thought. He told Lily goodnight and left the room. 

Lily grinned as the frustrated boy left the room. _'That's it, Remus,'_ she thought, _'get angry enough to actually do something about it.'_ She glanced down at her books and grinned when she heard her bathroom door open slowly.

"He's gone, Sable. You can come out." she called out. Lily smiled when Sable's audible sigh of relief was heard. The dark headed girl walked around the small couch, clothed in her school uniform.

"Thanks, Lily." she said. Lily only nodded and smiled.

"No problem. But if you'll excuse me, I've got major cramming to do for tomorrow." Sable nodded and levitated her boxes out of the portrait hole.

"Later, Lily." Sable called out as she left out of the room. Lily only smiled and waved. She settled back down to her books with only one thought on her mind. _'Let the fireworks begin.'_

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤ Now, in Sable's Room...♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

Sable walked down the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway as quickly as she could. It was getting late and she didn't want to have to deal with any wondering students passing through the area. She stopped at the suit of armor, said the password, and went into her room. As soon as she went into the little hallway, she picked up on the scent of another person. She frowned when recognition hit. It was Remus. She growled in frustration and swept down the passageway, intending on giving that werewolf the chewing of a lifetime. When she pushed aside the drape hanging in the way, she froze stiff.... and not from fear or anger. She was frozen stiff!!! Remus was standing beside the entrance, holding his wand in one hand. 

He had hit her with a full-body bind curse. _'What in the hell does he think he's doing?'_ she thought angrily. She tried to say something, but instead of words, only a gurgling sound was heard. She tried to glare at the boy, but found that she couldn't move any of her facial features into the patented _Remus-Lupin-you're-a-dead-werewolf_ glare. She only stood there, leaning against the wall like some immobile statue.

Remus, on the other hand, was sweating bullets. He knew that she wouldn't want to listen to reason at the time, but he needed to talk to her. So, after leaving Lily and her, he went down to her laboratory and waited for her to come back. 

"Alright, Sable." he said firmly. "We need to talk." He picked her up and brought her to the little bedroom that was attached to the laboratory, pocketing her wand in the process. In most cases, he wouldn't have done that. But he really didn't feel like having glass beakers of unknown potions thrown at him as soon as he lifted the curse. He lay her down on the bed and backed away. He put a silencing charm around the room. When he was on the other side of the room, he lifted the curse.

"....DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!!! I'M NOT SOME PRACTICE DUMMY TO TEST YOUR BASIC HEXES ON!!!!" she screamed at him. She immediately set up and glared at the boy. Just to emphasize her point, she picked up the closest thing to her and hummed it straight at his head. Because of her anger, the pillow flew far off of its course and landed next to him. 

"Sable," he said reasonably, "calm down. We need to talk." The girl reached into her pocket, searching for her wand, only to come up empty handed. Remus smirked and held up the desired piece of wood. "Looking for this?" he asked. Sable looked up and glared at him even harder.

"Give me back my wand." she stated firmly. 

"Not until you listen to what I have to say." Remus said, twirling the wand between his fingers. Sable huffed up and sat back on her bed, crossing her arms in the process and pasting a foul grin on her face.

"Talk." she ordered. "I've got work to do." Remus crushed the urge to hex the annoying girl into her next life-time. They had to get some of this mess out in the open before it killed both of them. Remus sat down in a chair and wondered where to start.

"Why are you still working on the Wolfsbane Potion, Sable?" he asked quietly. She looked up at him and scowled. She hadn't expected him to say something like that.

"Are you self-centered enough to think you're the only person in the world who suffers from lycanthropy?" she asked icily. "I'm doing it to help my parents and other people who are cursed enough to have been infected. Besides, what has that got to do with this." Remus glared and tried not to throw something at her._ 'Leave it to her to make this difficult.'_ he thought.

"Good point. It has nothing to do with this, but I wanted to know." Remus said. "Now, listen to me, Sable." he said. "You interrupt and I'm going to put another curse on you." The girl only glared and sat back down on her bed. "Good. Now, I know that you are mad about what happened last night, but it wasn't all your fault. I'm just as much responsible as you are. You told me that you weren't going to try to avoid me, but that's all you've been doing all day long. Why?" Sable looked down at her bed guiltily. 

"Remus, you know why I'm doing what I am right now." she muttered. "I know what was going through your head last night, because I was thinking the same things, if not worse. And I didn't want things to change between the two of us."

"I've got news for you, Ms. Robbins." Remus said. "The closer the full moon gets, the more things change between you and me. It's nature and we can't change that."

"Well, Mr. Lupin." she stated. "I can do my best to ignore what starts changing. I don't want to hurt you, and I know you don't want to hurt me, but what would happen if we let our emotions get in the way of common sense? You know as well as I do that everything that went through our heads last night was fueled by our instincts that come out during the time of the full moon."

"We'd both be happier, and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." Remus stated heatedly. 

"No. We'd both be wallowing in guilt and sulking because we let our barriers down during one of our weakest points. Therefore, we would hurt each other even more than we are right now." Sable countered. Remus looked at her skeptically. "Remus, you know that when the full moon is out, we are more susceptible to follow our carnal instincts than our common sense. That's too dangerous. Wolves are predatory animals that run in packs, and they follow their protective instincts. There are only a few in its life that it consciously recognizes, survival, hunting, and procreation. What would happen if we went with only those emotions? We'd be in more trouble than either of us want to mention."

"What do you want to do?" Remus asked quietly. "Stay away from each other at all times the closer the full moon gets to us?" Sable shuddered and shook her head. "I can't do that, Sable, and you know it."

"I don't know what we're going to do." she admitted, "but I do know that neither of us want to be hurt, or drug into something that's going to change what our friendship has built." Remus, having enough of this 'friendship' talk stood up from the chair and walked over to the bed where Sable was sitting, staring at her bed.

"Sable, what we've got is not a friendship, at least not at the moment." he stated quietly. 

"Then what is it?" she asked, staring up at him with a slight look of surprise. "Because I really want to know." Remus looked pensive and shook his head. 

"I don't want to see you hurt, and you don't deserve to have to put up with me, or anyone else around here for that matter." he said quietly. 

"I don't 'put up' with you or anyone else, Remus." she said. "I stay here because I want to. I love all of my friends, and you're no different, no matter what you think." 

"So you're not doing the potion out of some sick sense of commitment to me?" he asked. Sable grinned and stood up from her bed, shaking her head.

"Remus, you're a special person to me." she said. "And like I said before, if I didn't like you, I wouldn't be around you. I like you before, during, and after a full moon. So don't try to think that I've got some psycho sense of commitment to you. I want to help everyone with my research, not just you. What we feel during the time leading up to the full moon is just an extension of what we already share. Our feelings are heightened."

"But...."

"No, listen to me." she cut him off. "It's time I gave you lesson in wolf psychology. Imagine the head male and female wolf of a natural born pack. They do everything together. It's sort of like they are married. When something happens to one, it's only natural instinct for the other one to protect its mate. Remus, we're the only two lycanthropic students in this school. Even if I had never met you, never been put into Gryffindor, never had any type of connection with you or the others, you would know what I was because of what we are. And you would feel and act the same way towards me if we ever transformed together. You're the alpha-male, and with the wonderful rules of evolution, you think it's your job to protect and take care of the members of your pack. However, at the moment, I'm the only other member of that pack. The same thing goes for me."

"But...."

"Remus, why are you so protective of Lily the closer it gets to the full moon." Sable asked quickly. "She has James to take care of her, why do you act like her big brother?" Remus shrugged and shook his head.

"She's a girl." Sable grinned and nodded to the somewhat confused boy.

"As chauvinistic as that is, that's my point." she answered. "The more your wolfish instincts take over, the more you want to protect the females you care about, even if they don't need the help."

"So what your telling me is that I have no control over anything I consciously or unconsciously think the closer it gets to the full moon.?" he asked. "There is no way to stop what I think."

"Not unless you find some wonderful cure for lycanthropy before I do. The only other alternate is for you to die. And personally, I don't want that one." she said with a nod. Remus seemed to grimace and shook his head again. 

"This is going to be difficult." he said. 

"I know." she answered. "But I have an idea that may help."

"I'm listening." he growled. _'She's driving me nuts!!'_ he thought.

"Well, since it seems that we are going to drive each other nuts between now and the time the end of the year lets out, I suggest that we find some way to keep ourselves sane." _'Oh, Merlin. I hope I'm doing the right thing here.'_ she thought, crossing her arms in front of her.

"And you suggest....What???"

" I can't believe I'm saying this." she muttered, "I propose that we do whatever we have to to keep from killing each other. If it means acting on the instincts that we have, then so be it."

"All of them?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "Sable, now you're talking about dangerous." _'She's adding fuel to the fire.'_ he thought. _'I'd go to Azkaban if I did what I wanted. This girl doesn't know what she's getting into here!!!'_

"Not all of them." she said, blushing scarlet. "Just enough to keep you from getting mad and me from getting totally fed up with you."

"Sable, that's not a much better idea, and you know it." he stated.

"Well, it's either that, or we each stay on either side of the classroom and castle until the week of the full moon is over." she stated simply. " Talk about awkward then. What would we tell the others? Besides, I know a couple of Ravenclaws that would let me dorm in their rooms until this was all over with. In fact, Casey seemed to like the idea." She said thoughtfully. "I don't know why though."

"Casey Loque?" Remus nearly sputtered. "The guy that wound up hanging upside down in the broom closet last year? You've got to be kidding me! You'd be safer with me; that guy's a pervert if I ever knew one!!" Sable grinned and shook her head.

"Not that Casey." she said hastily. She suddenly had the feeling that he thought she was going to abandon them. "Casey Sauderville."

"Oh." he answered. Sable nodded as realization settled into Remus' face. Casey Sauderville was one of the little girls she tutored after classes. Now, he felt like an idiot. "Sable, you do know that if we do agree to the terms of this...... agreement..... we still have to live with ourselves after the fact."

"I've already thought about that." she said with a slight frown.

"And you've got what?"

"We forget about it and act like it never happened. Whatever goes on, stays with us. And only us." she stated firmly. Remus looked dumbfounded. _'If I ever did what I wanted to, she'd have one hell of a time forgetting it.'_ he thought. _'Hell, I wouldn't be so quick to forget it either.'_

"So you're basically suggesting that we use each other whenever it's convenient. " he said. "You're kidding me? Please tell me you're kidding?"

"Call it what you want. Do you have a better idea?" she asked. _'Oh boy, now I've gone and done it.'_ she thought. "Cause I'm fresh out." Remus looked thoughtful for a moment. Now was his opening to say what he wanted from her, but he wasn't sure if he could ask her.

"I do have one idea." he said timidly. "But I don't know if you'll accept it." 

"I'm listening." she answered. "Enlighten me."

"Well, you see." he began. "I was noticing something between the two of us." Sable looked a little skeptical. 

"What?" _'I mean besides the working chemistry we've got?'_ she thought sarcastically

"Sable, what did I do the last time Snape or Flint talked to you?"

"You went berserk, if my memory serves me correctly." she stated.

"Exactly. And why exactly did you prank Sedera Walsh when we were in the Slytherin Common Room that night?"

"I don't like the girl." she stated as if it were common knowledge. _'Uh-oh. Danger zone!!!!!! Please back away!!!!'_

"Well, neither do I, but you don't see me giving her huge elephant ears." he stated with a smile. "Do you?" 

"What are you getting at, Remus?" she asked testily. She felt her face begin to warm up, but she fought to keep the blush at bay.

"Why did you prank her?" he asked again. "Besides the fact that you don't like her." Sable tried to think up a logical excuse that wouldn't pin her to the truth. She didn't want him to know it was because Sedera had kissed him. 

"Uh....well....." she stuttered. "I just don't like the girl." 

"Sable, you also don't like the other girls in Slytherin, but you didn't prank them. Why did you do it?" He asked. "Was it because of what she did to me?" Sable blushed lightly and turned around, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Partly." she admitted. "I know what girls like her can be, and I didn't want her to hurt you."

"You were jealous." he stated with a grin. Sable turned around and almost slapped him, but he caught her hand.

"I was not." she stated, a little too quickly. "I was not." Remus just looked at her and shook his head. Sable cringed at the look and turned back around after wrestling her wrist from his hand. 

"You can't lie to me, Sable. You know that."

"Okay, maybe a little." she admitted. Remus gave her THE look again, and she cracked. "Okay, okay, maybe a lot. What did you expect me to do? Just let her go after she done that?" 

"What if I hadn't minded it?" he asked with a grin. _'I shouldn't have said that.'_ he thought.

"Then I would be sending you to St. Mungo's psychiatric ward right now." She dead panned. _' And Sedera Walsh would be missing in action.'_ she growled.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about." he said. 

"I'm missing something here, Remus. Care to enlighten me?" she asked nervously, not liking where the conversation was going.

"Do you remember at the beginning of school when I first found those passage ways into the other Common Rooms?" Sable nodded and waited for him to continue. 

"Yeah, I remember." she said. _'Not exactly something I want to remember right now.'_

"Do you remember what I told you right before I went into your room when you were about to add the wolfsbane to the potion?" he asked.

"You told me that you didn't know where I belonged anymore." she said quietly.

"Not quite." he said. "I told you that you were more than a friend to me now. But I couldn't figure out exactly what you were." Sable looked a little wary, but he could pick up on her increased heart rate. _'She's nervous.'_ he thought. He put his arms around her and hugged.

"I finally figured it out." Sable was trying to keep her breathing under control, and failing miserably. The close proximity to Remus was starting to make her blood boil... in a good way.

"Really, what was it, Remus?" she asked, trying to even out her breathing.

"I like you, Sable." he admitted. "As more than a friend. I care about you more than anyone else in this world." _'There, I said it.'_ he thought grimly. _'Now here's the critical moment.'_

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked hesitantly. 

"Well, if you think that I'm asking you to be my girlfriend," he said with a smile, "Then yeah, I'd say you were on the right track." Sable nearly passed out with that statement. She turned around and faced him, still with in the confines of his hug.

"Wait a minute." she asked. "Are you asking me to be yours?" Remus grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, I guess I am." he said. "Really articulate of me, isn't it?" Sable smiled and shook her head. _'If you only knew how long I've waited to hear this.'_ she thought happily.

"Are you sure, Remus?" she asked. "I don't want to..."

"... hurt me.... yah, yah, yah" he said. "We've already went through all of this. So, what's your answer?" Sable turned to him and smiled.

"Well, how's about this?" she asked with a sly smile. She wrapped her arms around him and the last thing he consciously processed was that kiss........

***************************************************

Well, needless to say, Remus and Sable were officially 'together' after that 'conversation' that had taken place that evening. 

Breakfast the next morning was a comical affair. Remus and Sable had decided to let the others figure it out themselves what the new status of their friendship was. All through breakfast, the two acted like they hated each other, throwing food and insults at each other until Lily and James separated them to opposite ends of the table. They hadn't caught the quick grin Sable had passed to Remus as she huffed away. Needless to say, the entire group was confused by the time it was all over with. When breakfast finally finished, everyone headed to their first class. Sable and Lily were going to Potions when the boys caught up with them. 

"Get over your fit yet, Sable?" Remus snarled at the girl.

"Don't you have somewhere to go, Remus?" she shot back. "Like the dog pound." She turned and began to walk a little faster, leaving Lily to stare in wonder. Remus, hiding a grin, caught up with her and stopped her.

"You coming with me? Cause last time I checked, you need to be there just as much as I do." He said sarcastically. The others caught up to them and James got in between the two before any fists could fly.

"What is going on with you two?" he demanded. "You've been trying to kill each other all morning." Sable and Remus looked at him innocently and shook their heads.

"What are you talking about, James?" Sable asked.

"Yeah, Prongs, we're fine." Remus said with a sly grin. Lily noticed the looks and smiled.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Peter asked cautiously.

"Well....." Remus began. At that moment, Allen Baker, one of the other Gryffindor seventh years came up to the group with a goofy smile on his face. 

"Morning everyone." he said cheerfully. 

"Morning, Allen." Sable said. "What you up to?"

"Nothing, really." he said. "Sable, there's something I wanted to ask you before classes start." 

"What is it?" Sable asked. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really." he answered. "I wanted to know if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me next Saturday." Sable looked a little shocked, but smiled none the less. Allen was a nice guy, but he had guts to ask her in front of her friends. She shook her head, but Remus interrupted.

"Sorry, Allen." he said with a frown. "She's already going with someone else."

"Remus, I can speak for myself, thank you!" she admonished. "I'm sorry, Allen. But I'm already going with someone else."

"Oh, okay." Allen said. "I guess I'll see you later then." The boy walked off quickly and Sable rounded on Remus.

" Keep your big trap shut for once, will you?" Sable said. 

"Well, you're already going with someone else." he said. Sable sighed in exasperation and threw her hands up in the air. 

"Moron." Sable said loudly.

"Bitch." Remus replied. Sable glared at him and turned her back to leave them in the hall. Meanwhile, the rest of the group just stood there, waiting for the fight that was about to commence.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Too late. I already do." Remus snickered. 

"That's what you think."

"I don't think, I know."

"Well, then you should know that you're getting on my nerves." Sable replied quickly.

"Well, then I'll just have to remedy that, won't I?" Remus said.

"Yeah, you need to. Before I really get mad at you."

"Gladly." Then, to the surprise of the Marauders, Remus grabbed her by the waist and kissed her in full view of the people in the hallway. When he let her go, Sable looked up to see the shocked faces of the boys and the triumphant grin of Lily's. The poor boys looked like their jaws couldn't drop much further. Remus grinned and Sable giggled.

"Something the matter, guys?" Sable asked innocently. Sirius was the first to recover from the surprise and he quickly let it be known what was going on.

"IT'S ABOUT BLOODY TIME YOU TWO REALIZED WHAT WAS GOING ON!!!!" he shouted. Remus cringed and James shook his head, glancing at his watch.

"Well, as wonderful as this revelation is," he said with a grin. "We need to get to class." He walked over to Remus and grabbed him by the scruff of his robes. "And you've got an explanation to tell, Moony." Sirius followed suit and Peter pulled up the rear as the boys left to go to class. Sable watched them exit, with a smile playing on her lips. Lily's chuckle brought her back to reality.

"Not fighting anymore, huh?" she asked slyly. Sable blushed and turned to walk to class with the red-head.

"Very funny, Evans." she smiled. "Very funny." The day went on as usual, and before the it was over with, the whole of Hogwarts breathed a collective sigh of relief when they found out that the two temperamental Gryffindors were officially 'together'. Well, almost everyone was happy for the new couple. A certain Slytherin seventh year began throwing things at the wall of his dorm when he found out about it late that evening.

Slytherin Dorm Rooms

"Will you calm down about this already!" Snape growled. "It's not like you're dating the girl." Cody Flint paused enough to glare at the boy and continued on to his ranting. 

"It doesn't matter!" the Quidditch star yelled back. "Now it's going to be three times as hard to get the girl by herself so we can do what we need to. If we don't start accomplishing more, Lord Voldemort will have our heads! I don't know about you, but I like my head attached to the rest of my body!!"

"Lord Voldemort will not hurt us beyond repair." Snape said smoothly. "We are the only reliable spies that he has here." He shuffled some papers and went back to his work. "Besides, we know when Lupin won't be around her. We just need to plan our attack on the next full moon." Cody stopped pacing and glared at the boy.

"I thought you said Robbins was a werewolf?" he said. "You said yourself that she exhibited the traits. She'll be with him on the next full moon." Snape shook his head and sighed.

"I thought she was a werewolf." he corrected. "My suspicions were not un-founded. However, I went to speak with her the night that Lupin transformed. She was in the hospital wing after sundown. There is no way that she can be a werewolf. Even her diary only hinted at it. Unfortunately, I didn't finish reading all of the entries before those annoying prats took it back. But what confuses me the most is that her parents are both full blooded werewolves. She should transform along with them, however, she stayed in her human form that night."

"Maybe she can control it." Flint suggested. 

"Don't you listen in Defense class?" Snape countered icily. "Werewolves can't control their transformations on the night of the full moon. It's impossible."

"Well, if that's the case, then what's our next step?" Flint asked, tired of the apparent chase they were leading. 

"We wait." Snape answered. "The Polyjuice Potion will be ready in a little over two weeks. When it is finished, we will be able to break up the golden group and take Ms. Meadows out all of the way."

"Will Lord Voldemort wait that long?" Flint asked.

"He is aware of my plans. And he has accepted them." Snape answered. Flint nodded and sat down at his desk, beginning to work on some homework that he hadn't finished.

__

'This is getting harder by the minute!!!'

The rest of the week went by rather quickly. The upcoming Halloween Ball was on everyone's mind. In fact, the Marauders were woken up rather Saturday morning by their significant others. It was common knowledge that when there was no Quidditch practice scheduled, James and the others tended to sleep until after noon. Well, Lily decided that the boys needed to see what their costumes for the ball would look like. After the other girls had seen Sable's dress, they had all decided to coordinate their costumes around her and Remus' costumes. So, needless to say, the boy's costumes were already picked out and ready to go since the girls had decided that the guys had absolutely no fashion sense at all. After the girls managed to get into the boy's dorms, the boys had a very rude awakening. 

Arabella closed the door to the room behind her and tip-toed across the room to the sleeping form of Sirius. Lily, Amanda Keiss, and Sable were already standing next to their respective beds. Loud snores could be heard throughout the room and the girls stifled their giggles to keep from waking the others up. With a silent signal from Lily, the girls readied the pitchers and unceremoniously dumped the contents onto the unsuspecting boys.

"WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME IS GOING ON??!!!!!" bellowed a very soaking Sirius Black. He jumped so far out of his own bed that Arabella thought he was going to hit his head on the roof. Bella quickly through the offending pitcher into a large pile of dirty clothes that were at the foot of Sirius' bed.

"Are you alright, Black?" she asked sarcastically, trying not to crack a smile. Sirius turned around and glared at her coldly. Across the room, Peter jumped out of the closed in curtains right about the time James started yelling at Lily and Remus started in on Sable.

"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Peter yelled out. "THAT'S BLOODY COLD!!!" Amanda sniggered and quickly hid the pitcher underneath the bed.

"Something the matter, Peter?" she asked sweetly. Peter shot her a murderous look that came out looking like angry puppy-dog eyes because he was still over half asleep. 

"LILY EVANS!!!!" James hollered. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING????"

"Morning to you too, hon." Lily said sweetly. She gave him a quick kiss and discarded to evidence under his bed. James shook his head and droplets of water scattered across the room as glared at Lily.

"MEADOW SABRIEL ROBBINS!!!" Remus called out loudly. "WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO THAT FOR???? IT'S A SATURDAY MORNING FOR MERLIN'S SAKE?!!!" Sable frowned and quickly filled the empty pitcher with another dose of ice water. She hated it when people used her full name.

"Remus," she began threateningly, "you know I hate it when you say my full name."

"AND I DON'T LIKE TO BE WOKEN UP ON A SATURDAY MORNING BY HAVING WATER POURED ON ME!!!" he screamed. Sable tsked and quickly poured the other pitcher of water on him while his back was turned to her. The poor werewolf let out another yelp and dove out of the other side of the bed, trying to get away from the glacial liquid that had surrounded him once again. Sable snickered and threw the pitcher on top of the bed.

"Time to get up fellas." Sable announced happily. The girls looked around the room, where the boys were in various states of wetness. 

"Man, what's going on?" Sirius asked plaintively.

"Well," Arabella said sweetly. "We need you guys to come with us for a while."

"For what, you witches." he growled.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Sirius." Amanda said in a baby-like voice. "That's right, we're witches and you're wizards." 

"What's going on?" James asked.

"We need you guys to look at the costume ideas so that you know what to buy when we go to Hogsmeade next weekend." 

"That's what this is about?!" Remus spluttered. "You woke us up to worry about costumes." Lily snickered.

"If I remember correctly, Mr. Lupin, you had no complaints about Sable's costume." The red-head smiled. Remus grinned and backed down in defeat. The girls grinned and the boys looked over at Remus with a curious expression. 

"What time is it, anyway?" Peter yawned.

"It's after noon, already." Arabella said. "Time for you boys to get up."

"Do we have to?" Sirius whined. "I want to sleep."

"Do you want to live to see tomorrow, Black?" Bella questioned stonily. Sirius took one look at the girl and cowered. She meant business, and he knew it. Sirius sighed in defeat and hung his head. "That's what I thought." Bella said with a smug grin.

"Fine, we'll come see the costume designs." James said sleepily, wiping his eyes. "Give us a few minutes." The girls brightened up and turned to leave.

"You've got thirty minutes to be down in the Common Room." Lily warned. "Or else we're coming back up here."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Got it."

"Okay."

"Do we have to???" Bella shook her head and threw a nearby shoe at Sirius for that last question. It hit him with a satisfying _'clunk_'. "Okay, okay. We'll be down there in half an hour." came Sirius' pained voice as the door closed. The boys looked at each other and shook their heads.

"How did we get mixed up in this?" Remus asked. 

"It's because Lily is a hot-head, Bella is a prankster, and Sable is a sadist." James said through the huge yawn that escaped. 

"What about Amanda?" Peter said. "She was here too."

"The other three have corrupted her." Sirius said. "Most Hufflepuff girls are non-aggressive. Amanda's been around them too long." The boys nodded and they shook their heads.

"I've only got one thing to say about those four." James said.

"What?" Peter asked.

"They're as bad as us." Remus finished. James nodded and went to leave the dorms.

" Yeah, but admit it boys, we love every minute of it." Sirius said with a goofy grin. The other boys only smiled and nodded and began to look around for some more clothes that weren't soaked with ice cold water.

Twenty nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds later, the boys were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room. The common room was filled with the younger students doing homework, playing games, or just talking about nothing in particular. The girls had commandeered a large couch and a few smaller chairs in the corner of the room and were digging out the papers with the designs on them. The noise level in the room was beginning to get louder and the girls seemed to notice. 

"Okay, we're here." Peter said disgustedly. He really wanted to go back to sleep. Amanda glared at him half-heartedly and shook her head.

"I think it would be better if we went to the Head's Common Room." James said. "It's too loud in here." 

"You're right." Lily said, shuffling papers. "Let's go." They picked up their stuff and went to the Head's Common Room. Lily and the girls settled down on the couch and put the papers in front of them.

"Alright, boys." Bella grinned. "Time to find out what you're gonna be for Halloween." 

"Just a question before we get started." Sirius said. "Do we actually get to have any say-so in the choices." The girls looked at each other and smiled evilly.

"No." they all said in unison. Sirius frowned and nodded.

"Just making sure." he said with a sigh. 

"So, what's the deal?" Remus asked. "Sable and I already have ours planned out. Why are we here?" 

"We need Sable here to finalize the plans." Amanda said. "We need her opinion on the other costumes."

"Yeah, we're all going as one big group, and the costumes are coordinating with each other." Bella said.

"Then can I go?" Remus whined.

"No." the girls answered. "You're staying here." Remus rolled his eyes and sat down in a chair, mumbling about how girls were all crazy. Lily picked up on the curses and grinned at the boy.

"Of course, Sable is going to have to put her costume on again, just so we can make any final adjustments to our ideas." the red-head said. Remus' ears perked up and he grinned.

"Okay, I'll stay." he said happily. Sable just rolled her eyes and went to put her costume on again. She walked out ten minutes later and grinned at them. Remus' eyes were glazed over and the boys were smiling.

"Bella, think you can find something like that?" Sirius asked. Bella threw a pillow at him in retaliation. Sirius just smirked and dodged it. 

For the next two hours, the girls finished up their plans for the ball. The boys actually like the costumes by the time everything was over with. James and Lily were a couple of peasants. Remus and Sable were a 'princess' and the 'beast'. Sirius was a thief and Bella a countess. Peter was a squire and Amanda was a lady of Sable's 'court'. All in all, it worked out rather well, and the girls were all happy that the Marauders didn't put up too much of a fight. 

__

'We may actually get away with putting them into those costumes.' Sable thought with a grin as they picked up the papers and got ready to leave. Remus put his arms around her and hugged her gently.

"Where you headed to, missy?" he asked.

"I was going to work on some stuff in my lab." she said. "I'm getting behind on some of my Transfiguration notes."

"Mind if I come?" He asked. "James and the others are going down to the Pitch."

"You'd come even if I said no." Sable said with a grin. "So yeah, come on."

"Damn right." Remus huffed. "Later, guys." 

"Bye, you two." Bella said. She and Sirius were arguing over something again. Remus shook his head. Sirius liked to see Bella get upset and flustered, so he purposely made her mad any time he could. 

"Where you headed?" Lily asked. 

"To my lab." Sable said. "I've got some Transfiguration notes to finish off."

"Riiiiiiiiiigggggghhhhhhttttt." Sirius drawled.

"Sirius Black!" Bella shouted, "You perverted, dirty minded boy! If she says she going to work on her schoolwork, then that's what she's going to do!!! Get your mind out of the gutter!! You are the......" And so the tirade went on as Bella let into him once again. Sirius just smiled and winked at Remus before they left out. When they got out of the room, Sable started laughing.

"Something funny?" Remus asked.

"Sirius and Bella are hilarious." she said. "You know he makes her mad just to see her get upset."

"I know." Remus said with a grin. "But you're as bad as she is sometimes."

"I am not."

"Are too." 

"Am not." 

"Are too."

"Am not. Am not. Am not!"

"Are too."

"Okay, I give up." Sable said. "I am." The pair grinned and walked down the hallway to the entrance to her room. Little did they know, a set of eyes watched them as they entered into the passageway that led to her laboratory. When the suit of armor slid back into place, the hidden figure came out of the shadows and fled towards the dungeons of the castle.

**__**

A/N - It's about time they got together, don't you think? **Author smiles evilly** Just so you guys know, I wasn't going to put them together right now. I was actually going to wait, but……I decided to speed things up a bit. 

But don't think I'm going to let them take the easy way out. Oh no, no, no, no, no. (Where's the fun in that?) Anyway. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Later.

Oh, and leave me a review telling me how I did. I really want to know. 

Later. 

A.A. 


	25. Chapter 25

**__**

Disclaimer- It's not mine, never was.

A/N : Hey Everyone. Sorry about not updating sooner. Here's the next chappy just for you guys. Oh, and there is a major note coming up. I really need you guys to respond, so don't skip it. 

Later.

Here are some thank you's that I've been neglecting lately:

Shina-Etsu- Thank you for the enthusiastic review, and I'm glad you like the story so much. As for moving the relationship up a few notches, I'm not too sure about it. This story has already been booted off of ff.net one time -still haven't been told why as of yet-, and I don't want it to happen again because of some risky passages. If anything else is said about their relationship, I will probably be vague, dropping hints, but that's about it. It'll be one of those 'behind closed doors' relationships. In other words, use your imagination to figure out what they due behind closed doors. ;) Anyhow, thanks again for the review, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Pallas- Thanks. I'm glad it is easy to read. Most of my stories wind up being really complex and intricate, so I'm glad you aren't having a problem understanding what's going on. (My writing can be impossibly confusing sometimes.) Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the next few chapters.

Peace Doesn't Last Long

The next week passed quickly for the entire school. The upcoming weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend. When Friday finally ended and the last class of the day dismissed, the students were happy to have a break. The little wizard town of Hogsmeade was only a short walk away from the castle, and the third years and up were allowed to visit it on certain weekends. All through the week, the girls had pointedly reminded their guys that they had to buy their costumes for the ball. Remus would grin every time one of the girls mentioned it. His costume had been designed by Bella and Amanda, and he wasn't complaining. It was easy enough to find what he needed and Sable already had hers, so they could spend more time together in town, instead of searching for something in the costume shop. Needless to say, he was welcoming the trip.

Saturday morning, every student in the third year and up were awake early. They ate breakfast in a hurry and began to walk down to the village. James, Sirius, and Peter were with Lily, Bella, and Amanda a few yards ahead of Remus and Sable. The girls must have been talking about the ball again, because Remus spotted the bored expressions on his friend's faces. He laughed and Sable looked over at him.

"Something the matter, Remus?" she asked. 

"I think the others are getting another lecture about the ball." he said with a grin, pointing at the other Marauders. Sable grimaced and shook her head.

"Looks like those three are on their soap-box again." she grinned. "I'll be glad when this ball is over with. I can't get a decent conversation out of any of the girls. Even Lily is constantly talking about it. Gets annoying, really." 

"I think the guys will be happy too." he answered. Sable smiled and nodded.

"So where we headed today, Remus?" she asked. 

"Don't know." he answered. "You have any ideas?"

"I need to go by Honeyduke's." she said, eyeing him suspiciously. "It seems that my stash of chocolate has been completely diminished. I wonder how that could have happened? Hmmm?" Remus only shrugged and tried not to look too guilty. Sable nodded and continued on. "You know how I get without my chocolate, Remus."

"Yeah, it's not pretty." he said gravely.

"REMUS!" she admonished. "I'm not that bad, am I?' 

"Nothing I can't handle."

"I'll remember that the next time I'm P.M.S.ing really bad. Let's see how you handle that one, shall we?" she said smugly.

"On second thought, I'll keep my mouth shut." Remus said quickly. He suddenly remembered that she usually got moody about the time the moon was full every month. So the poor girl actually got a double dose of trouble. She had to deal with the PMS mood swings as well as the changes due to the lunar changes. Talk about hormonal chaos!!! It wasn't a nice thing, and he knew it. 

"Good." she answered smugly. They continued to make idle chit-chat until they got down to the village. The first place they went was the little costume shop right off of the main street. It only took about thirty minutes to find everything Remus needed, and they were out of there. When Sable and Remus looked back into the crowded room, they could spot Bella, Amanda, and Lily throwing things into the changing rooms where their dates were. Remus shook his head as Bella and Sirius started another argument again.

"You had better be glad that I'm not as bad as them." Sable said pointing at the other girls. Remus smiled and nodded.

"You have no clue how happy I am that you're not like them right now." he muttered. "Let's get out of here." They walked out of the store and headed straight for Honeyduke's. 

The candy store was filled to the brim with students. Sable and Remus fought their way in and got the needed sugar supplies. It took a while, but when they exited the store, Remus was holding a large bag of the sweets and Sable was loaded down with about four or five different bags of goodies. Remus looked at her and gapped at the amount of sweets she had just bought.

"Not trying to buy them out, are you?" he smirked. 

"Nope, just stocking up in case SOMEONE decides to raid my stash when they run out of their own goodies." she said with a grin. Remus smiled and looked away. He had been nosing around her lab one day and found her stash of chocolate. He had cleaned it out before she even knew what was going on. He was on a sugar high for hours after that, and Sable had threatened him with bodily harm if he ever ate that much again. They walked down the street and wound up in front of the Shrieking Shack before they actually realized where they were going. Sable glanced up at the dilapidated old shack and sighed.

"Do you think Snape's put two and two together yet to find out what's going on?" she asked quietly. Remus shook his head and frowned.

"I don't know yet." he said. "He's been quiet for the past few weeks. Other than that visit to you on the last full moon, I haven't heard anything out of him. Or Flint either, for that matter."

"They're up to something, Remus." she stated. "I just don't know what it is." 

"Did you ever find out if he read your entire journal or not?" Remus asked. 

"I don't think he got through about half of it." she said. "I put a Detection Spell on it a few days ago. It detected which pages he had touched. If the spell worked correctly, he knows about you, my parents, my lab, and the reason I'm doing my research, but he doesn't know about me being a ranula."

"Well, that's helpful, a little anyways." He answered, hugging the girl. He looked over at the shack and sighed. "Do you think we'll ever be accepted for what we are?"

"I don't know, Remus." she said sadly. "Werewolves like you and me are feared throughout the wizarding world. People think we're monsters. The only reason my parents have a job is because they worked for the Ministry before they were infected. Their boss was sympathetic and let them keep their positions since they had worked so hard for the Ministry."

"Too bad there aren't other people as accepting as them." Remus frowned. 

"I know." she answered. "People fear what they don't understand. Anything that's not normal is looked upon as evil. I don't want people like you and me to be labeled evil because of something that we couldn't control when we were younger, or before we were ever born for that matter." Remus nodded and decided to change to a less depressing subject.

"I think we need to go see if the others are done yet." he said. "I don't think Sirius can hold out much longer in a costume shop." Sable laughed and nodded.

"And if I know Arabella, she's still got him in there trying on different clothes." 

"My point exactly." Remus answered. "We better go." Sable nodded and they set off for the center of the town once again. As suspected, Bella had Sirius by the scruff of the neck by the time they arrived back at the costume shop.

"We're too late." Sable snickered. Remus and Sable watched as Bella let into Sirius about something, shaking her finger at him and causing some of the other people to turn and stare because of the shouts. Sirius just stood there, taking the berating with a grin. He finally had enough and grabbed Bella up in a kiss that left her speechless for a few minutes after he let her go. Remus grinned and shook his head, and Sable only laughed.

"That's one way to shut her up." she laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's got the whole grab, kiss, and shut her up move perfected." Remus nodded and they walked over to the two teens. After enquiring to the where-abouts of the others, Sirius told them that they were all going to meet up to get something to drink from _The Three Broomsticks_. Sable nodded and smiled. She could use a bottle of butterbeer right now. Things had been hectic the past few days, and she needed to unwind. 

"Let's get going people." Sirius said with a grin. "Don't want to keep the adoring public waiting." Bella was about to say something else to him when he put his arm around her waist and led her from the building. They had already paid for their stuff, but in there rush to leave, Bella had left them sitting on the floor at her feet. Sable watched them walk out the door, a grin on her face when she turned around and looked at Remus eyeing the bags on the floor.

"Do you think we should bring them, or let Pads and Bella come back and get them later?" he asked. Sable grinned and picked up two of the bags, leaving Remus to get the other one."

"Let's take them now." she said. "Padfoot's gotten into enough trouble today. When Bella finds out that they left the bags, she's going to let him have it again."

They smiled and made there way out of the store and towards the center of the small town.

__

The Three Broomsticks was a very popular place with the students of Hogwarts. As they entered into the establishment, Remus scanned the crowd of students for any sign of the rest of the Marauders. He quickly found them, tucked away in a corner in the back of the building. He and Sable maneuvered over to the table, only to find that Bella had in fact noticed that the bags were missing. She was berating Sirius again, but he just sat there and took it with a smile on his face. Sable brought the bags to the side of the table and shook her head. 

"Leave him alone, Bella." she said with a grin. "Hasn't he been in enough trouble today?" Arabella turned around and frowned at the girl.

"He made me leave the bags back at the costume shop." she said hotly. "Now I have to go back and get them."

"We got'em, Bella." Remus said, pushing the bags over to her. "Don't hang him up from a tree yet." Sirius looked over to his friend and grinned. 

"Oh, thank you Sable. You too, Remus." she said, pulling the bags up to her. "I didn't want to have to fight that crowd. It's horrid."

"Well, now that the crisis has been settled." Lily said, "what do you guys want to drink?" 

"BUTTERBEERS!!!" they all yelled out instinctively. The redhead blanched and nodded. 

"It was just a simple question." she said quietly. "No need to shout, geez." Sable looked over to the girl and smiled.

"Let's go get them before this bunch gets hostile." she said. Lily nodded and the two girl left, leaving the Marauders, Bella, and Amanda to chat.

As Sable and the other girl worked their way up to the bar, Sable let out a groan as her eyes settled on who was behind the counter. It was that guy Chris who had hit on her the last time when she was here with the boys and Lily. 

"Oh, man." she said. "Not him."

"Something wrong, Sable?" Lily asked as they made their way up to the counter.

"That jerk is working today." she said, signaling towards the waiter. 

"What's wrong with him?" Lily asked, glancing over to the boy. Her face suddenly contorted and she frowned.

"He was the one hitting on us the last time we were here." she said. "Don't you remember?"

"Does Remus know he's here?" the redhead asked timidly.

"I don't know." she muttered. Lily nodded and looked back across the see of students to where the Marauders were sitting. 

"Why don't you go back, Sable." she said. "Send Peter or one of the others up here to help me. I don't think it would be prudent to get Remus angry at the moment." Sable shook her head and pushed past the last few people.

"Don't worry about it." she said. "Maybe he won't remember me." She and Lily waited for him to turn around to notice they were there. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side, because the pervert remembered her the minute he saw her.

"Hey! It's the leather ladies." he said with a cheeky grin, wiping his hands on a towel. "How you doing , sweetie? Decided to come visit me again, I see." Sable's temper flared, but she decided to try and not cause a scene in the middle of the restaurant. Lily watched as the other girl's temper began to flare up, but smiled when she put a fake smile on her face.

"Can we get two pitchers of butterbeer, please?" Sable asked, the fake smile still on her face, even though her hands were clenching underneath the counter. The boy only grinned and leaned down on the counter, coming closer to the girls.

"Who's your friend?" he asked, eyeing Lily appreciatively. Lily's temper began to flare up also. "Oh yeah, I remember, you're the other one that was here with her."

"She's a friend of mine from school." Sable said evenly, ignoring the boy's last comment. "Now, about those drinks…."

"Not a problem, sweetheart." he said with a wink. "Here you go, on the house for two such lovely ladies as yourself."

"That's sweet of you." Lily said, "But we insist on paying for them." She put a hand full of change on the counter and picked up a pitcher of the liquid. Sable followed suit and grabbed the other pitcher. Before either of them could turn around, they felt someone grab their wrists. Both of the girls looked up at the waiter and frowned.

"I said they were on the house." he said with a grin. He let Lily's hand go and picked the money up, depositing it in her hands. "Don't worry about it." He let his hand linger a little longer on Lily than necessary. "If you insist on paying, maybe we could work something out later." He gave Sable a wink and a cheesy smile. Before she could say anything in her or her friend's defense, she felt someone else sidle of by her. A low growl was heard, and she looked up to see a very mad Remus, and an even madder James Potter. The Head Boy put his arm around Lily and hugged her, a sickening sweet smile on his face when he looked down.

"Everything alright, Lils?" he asked. "We were wondering what was taking so long." He looked up at the bartender and frowned.

"You ladies weren't having any problems, were you?" Remus asked Sable, glaring at the boy behind the counter. Chris seemed to shrink back a couple of steps and gulped once. "Because we would have to fix anyone that's giving our girls problems." He put his arms around Sable from behind and pulled her to him. About that time, Sirius came up to them, a frown on his face. 

"What's taking so bloody long?" he asked grumpily. "We're gonna thirst to death before you guys get back over here." 

"I think the girls were having some problems getting the drinks." James said . "Am I right, girls?"

"Well…" Lily said quietly. 

"You see, we were trying to tell him that…" Sable started.

"We're just a little backed up right now." the frightened bartender said quickly, eyeing the three boys warily. "There's no problem." He set another pitcher of butterbeer on the counter, and Sable picked it up.

"I didn't think there was." James said, glaring at the boy. "Just in case, from now on, we'll come get the drinks, girls." he said, looking down at Lily.

"Yes, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you guys while you were up here." Remus growled, staring directly at the now quivering boy behind the counter. "You know they have some perverts in this village, and since it's full of students, there's no telling who's out."

"Okay." Lily conceded.

"Sure thing, Remus." Sable said, pointedly looking at Chris. "Whatever you say, love." The girls turned around and began to walk away from the table, each one carrying a pitcher of the warm liquid. When they got out of hearing range, James, Sirius, and Remus turned back to the boy and glared.

"You mess with either of them again.." James said slowly.

"..And you die a very slow, and painful death." Remus growled, cracking his knuckles. 

"Do we make ourselves clear?" Sirius asked pointedly. The boy only nodded, terrified of the three boys that now stood in front of him.

"Crystal." he muttered.

"Good." James said, turning around and walking back to the table. "I wouldn't want any misunderstandings." Sirius glared at the boy one last time before following his friend. Remus was the last to go. When they got back to the table, Lily were fuming. The boys sat down and the girl let them have it..

"What do you think you're doing?!" Lily asked her boyfriend.

"What?" James asked, confused with her mood swings. "What'd I do?"

"You didn't need to come barging up there." Lily said. "We could have handled that jerk!" She looked at Sable and nodded. "Couldn't we?" she asked pointedly. Sable, who it seemed Remus had cornered in the booth, only shrugged. She wasn't about to argue with Remus, especially since the fool moon was only a little over a week finished. He was thinking like an overprotective alpha-male, and she wasn't in the mood to argue with him. It wouldn't get anywhere, anyhow. 

"Uhh, well Lily…" she said.

"Don't worry about it." Sirius said flippantly. "I've known that guy for a while. He needed to be shown up."

"What'd he do?" Bella asked. "You three got up and left in a hurry." Peter shook his head and tried to hide a smile.

"Chris was hitting on the female customers again." he said dismissively. "Only this time, he picked two girls who were taken."

"This is the second time he's done that." James fumed.

"Yeah, he done it when we were here a few weeks ago, too." Remus said. "You'd think he'd have learned during that last encounter." He put his arm around Sable and almost pulled her into his lap. He was angry, and she knew he was just trying to make sure she wasn't going to go anywhere, so she didn't say anything to him.

"Some people are slow learners." Amanda said with a grin. 

"Well, no matter how slow he is," Sirius said with a smirk. "I think he got the point this time." Everyone smiled and started talking about different topics. Before long, the butterbeer had run out and the whole group was ready to go. 

"Where are you guys going, now?" Peter asked. 

"Quidditch store." James answered. Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance.

"Got to go pick up some pranking supplies." Sirius said with a grin. Arabella smiled and nodded in agreement. 

"Book store." Sable said. Remus only shrugged and nodded. "What about you Pete?"

"We're going to Honeyduke's." Amanda answered for him. "I've got to restock my supplies since SOMEONE decided to clean me out." She cast an annoyed look at Peter and shook her head. Peter had the decency to blush before the Hufflepuff pulled him out of the building. The other six followed, splitting up at the door to go there separate ways. They had all decided to meet back in the Common Room later on that evening. Until then, each pair was left to their own devices. 

Remus and Sable had went to the bookstore to see if they could find anything to read. They had separated, Remus going to the Defense Against the Dark Arts section while Sable went to the Potions section. There was no one else in the section since it was set aside from the rest of the store. Sable was not paying much attention to her surroundings, so absorbed in the book as she walked down the aisles. She was suddenly jerked out of her daze when she came in contact with someone else. She dropped the book and started to apologize for being so clumsy when she noticed who it was.

Cody Flint and Severus Snape were standing in front of her with identical smirks on their faces. Sable's anger shot from nothing to full blown in about 1.2 seconds flat. 

"Watch where you're going!" Flint barked. 

"How about you quit standing in the middle of the aisle like the idiot you are." Sable shot back, picking up the book and trying to go around the two boys. They stood in her path and wouldn't let her pass.

"Where's your little wolf puppy?" Snape asked sarcastically, referring to Remus. "I thought you'd need to keep him on a leash while you were in public."

"Just like they need to keep you two snakes locked up in a box somewhere with no ventilation holes, right?" she asked dryly. 

"Just answer the question, bitch!" Flint sneered. "Where's the freak?" 

"Why, so you'll know if you have a head start if you try to pull something like you did on the Pitch last week?" she asked, growling under her breath. The boys smirked again, and Flint tried to grab her shoulders.

"Yes, well, that was an accident." he said. "A momentary slip of mine."

"More like a momentary slip of sanity." Sable ground out. "Did you actually think you'd get away with trying to kill me?"

"We weren't trying to kill you, Robbins." Snape said firmly.

"Really?" Sable asked in annoyance. "You sure could have fooled me."

"Yes, well, I find that's not very hard to do." Snape said. "I mean, look at the pathetic excuse of a human you stay around. Really, you should know better than to be anywhere near a beast like Lupin."

"I'll take my chances with him." she said heatedly. "He can't do anything worse than you two, so I'll be fine."

"You do realize that he's not always going to be there to protect you, don't you?" Flint asked.

"Well, I'm here right now." came an angry voice from behind the two Slytherins. "And I'd appreciate it if you two bloody prats would move and let me get to my girlfriend." Sable willed her heart to calm back down from its rapid beating. When she had seen that Snape and Flint had her cornered, she had gotten nervous. She did not know what they had planned on doing, but she had not liked it. Being in a confined space with those two was not healthy for anyone, especially if you were a Gryffindor named Sable Robbins.

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in." Flint sneered. "Shouldn't you be somewhere right now, Lupin? Like the Shrieking Shack perhaps?"

"Only if I can drag you in there with me so I can tear you apart myself." he growled. "I still owe your sorry ass for putting Sable in the hospital wing."

"You won't do anything in here." Snape said, gesturing to the entrance to the store. "We're in the middle of public, and you don't have the rest of the peanut gallery to back you up." He looked down at the boy and shook his head in disgust. "You're threats are empty and useless." 

Remus' blood started boiling and he pushed Sable behind him, his rage beginning to take over his mind. Pictures of Sable lying in the hospital wing flashed through his mind in quick succession. He balled his fists up and tried to calm down.

"You're a dead snake." he said. Before Flint could dodge the attack, Remus had swung and connected with the Slytherin's face. It took about two seconds for the two boys to wind up on the ground, trying to beat the holy hell out of each other. Sable gasped when Flint's fist connected with her boyfriend's stomach. She suddenly wondered if she should jump in between the two of them. Her mind won out and she stayed put. Even with her lycanthropy, she would seriously be hurt if she tried to stop them, probably giving Remus another reason to go out for blood. 

She saw Snape reach out and pull Remus off of the bloody and beaten form of Flint, a sick smile on his face, and his wand in his hand. _'They're going to double team him!'_ she thought frantically. _'The bastards will kill him!'_ She quickly grabbed her wand and threw curse after curse at the taller Slytherin, forcing him to let Remus go. Remus stumbled and looked behind him. Sable had fired so many curses and hexes at him, that the Slytherin potion master was indistinguishable, and frozen solid to the ground where he stood. 

There were red boils on his face, along with bulging green, frog-like eyes, swollen purple lips, and a set of cat ears on the top of his head. Remus tried to calm his breathing back down to normal. He looked over at Sable and noticed the pensive look on her face. She looked close to tears, and still had her wand pointed at Snape. He took a shaky breath and stepped over the now unconscious form of Cody Flint that was lying in the floor. Even from this vantage point, Sable could tell that the Slytherin Quidditch Captain would be sporting a black eye, busted lip, bloody nose, and more than likely a sprained wrist when he woke up. Not to mention numerous other bruises and broken bones.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Sable calmed down slightly and nodded to him.

"I'm fine." she said. "Just a little shook up. You okay?" Remus gave her a half grin.

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding!" she said frantically noticing the blood on his face, and trying to wipe it away with her sleeve. "We need to get you back to the school!"

"Sable, I'm fine." he said patiently. Flint had gotten a good punch on his nose, and now he had a nosebleed, but other than that, he was fine. "It's just a nose bleed."

"I don't care." she said heatedly. "Pomfrey needs to look you over and make sure nothing is broken!" Remus smiled at the concern she was showing for his well being. He grabbed her wrists, forcing her to stop what she was doing and look at him.

"Sable, think." he said. "How am I going to explain to Pomfrey that I've got a bloody nose without telling her I was fighting with another student?" Sable let that sink into her head before she nodded.

"You're right." she said finally. "But we need to stop that bleeding. Hold on a second." She pulled her wand up again and muttered a small healing spell before smiling. "There. All better." she said with a grin. Remus smiled and pulled her away from the two immobile Slytherins. 

"Let's go, Sable." he said, leading her towards the door. "Before anyone notices."

"What about…" she started to ask, looking back at the two Slytherins.

"Do you really want to help them after what they've done?" he asked, surprised that she would even consider it. Sable looked at him and then back to where the two boys were standing.

"Nah. Let'em stay there, for all I care." she said dismissively. "I was wondering what we're going to do if they tell Treble about what we done to them." Remus grinned and shook his head.

"They won't tell anyone. If everyone knew they had been beaten by two Gryffindors, their reputations would be ruined. They're not going to tell anybody." He smiled and hugged her again as they walked out the door, leaving the two Slytherins to be found by whomever happened to chance upon them. 

Later on that evening, when the Marauders, and the girls were on their way back to the castle, Sable told them about what happened in the book store. Flint and Snape had been found by a few of their classmates about half an hour after they had left them there. Neither one of the boys said anything as they stomped up to the castle. James, Sirius, and Peter laughed until they were in tears when Sable told them. The girls only shook their heads in silent agreement, happy that someone had finally put the audacious pair of snakes in their rightful places. 

That night, while everyone was asleep in the castle, those two boys were up , deciding that it was time to put their plan of destruction into play much sooner than they had expected to. And things were not about to be pretty….

**__**

A/N - Okay. How'd I do? Remember to leave me a review telling me what you guys think. Later.

A.A.


	26. Chapter 26

**__**

A/N - Okay everyone, don't kill me for not updating in such a long time. There has been too many things going on around here for me to even begin to explain. Let's just say that I've been majorly busy. Okay, these next few chapters are my Halloween present to you all. Later.

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was. 

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Sabotage

It was no time flat before another week of school had passed and the students were once again treated to another Hogsmeade weekend. Preparations for the ball were finished, so many of the students had the entire day just to spend in the little wizarding town. Sable, on the other hand, stayed back at the castle for the day since she had already gotten her costume and had everything she needed for it. Remus had wanted her to come into town with them, but when she brought up the little problem that had arisen with the American Minister over the Celtic potion book he immediately backed down. He knew that she was in a rush to finish her work and send the dreaded book back to America. The Marauders were planning on spending the entire day out in the little wizarding town, along with Lily, Bella, and Amanda. She was the only one who was going to stay back and work. 

The rest of the students had already left, and Remus had promised to bring her something back from the village. It was already after breakfast, and Sable pulled out a book that she had found in the library about werewolves. Dumbledore had said that this particular book housed some information that she might find useful. So far, she had found nothing that she did not already know. _'I better damned well find something useful!'_ she thought angrily, opening the book and looking into the pages carefully. _'I've already got Neal Willington on my back, as well as the rest of the American Ministry!'_ She picked the book up and walked over to a desk to read it. Out of the corner of her eye, a folded up piece of parchment fluttered to the ground when she moved. She stopped and picked the paper up, reading over it for the millionth time since she had received it earlier that week. 

It was a letter from the American Ministry, inquiring as to the whereabouts of a certain tome that had mysteriously disappeared out of the Library Archives. She glanced over the paper and frowned. That bastard Willington was always a self centered, pernicious, ass-hole, but the letter topped it all off.

__

Mr. Robbins,

I am writing to inquire to the whereabouts of a particular tome that has come up missing from the Archives of the American Ministry. The tome was a part of an ancient set that supposedly housed information pertaining to the potion making of our ancestors. I know that you have an avid interest in Potions, and I would like to know if you have any knowledge as to the whereabouts of this book. 

It is extremely important that you respond with your answer. There are few that had access to the archives, you being one of the only ones. Since your mother and father are out on a mission, I could not contact them due to security measures. 

I have already sent the Headmaster a copy of this letter as assurance that you get it. I hope that you can help us with this, Sable. I know your parents would be quite upset if their daughter was caught stealing from their employers. I hope that you will be able to help us to find the culprit. Any information you have will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Neil Willington

American Minister of Magic

P.S. On a more personal note, I hope you are having a wonderful year in school. You were one of Salem's brightest students, and I hope you are doing us proud over there. Good bye, and good luck.

Sable sighed and rolled her eyes in disgust. _'That stupid man could care less about me.'_ she thought. _'He already suspects me of taking the book. I don't know why he doesn't just come out and say it.'_ She stuck the offending letter in a drawer and pushed it to the back of her mind. She had spoken with Dumbledore, and he had suggested sending the book back, via an untraceable owl. Even though he was supposedly responsible for turning her in because of her part in stealing the book, Dumbledore realized that she was possibly the only person who could do the needed work that would result in a cure. Sable had agreed with him about sending the book back, and promised to have the last of the book translated and finished by the time the end of the week rolled around. 

As she had promised, she finished translating the book the night before, and now she was in the process of cross matching some of the information in the Potion book and the new book she had received from the library. Settling down on her bed, she opened the book to the marked page and began reading. She sat there for the majority of the day, skimming through the chapters. Right before dinner, Sable caught something that might be of some use to her. 

**__**

There is only one main branch of werewolf bloodline. Most people who are affected by some form of lycanthropy have been directly infected from the bite of another werewolf. However, there have been a few documented cases of people being born with the lycanthropy already present within them. This is only possible if both parents of a child have been infected by the same wolf at the same time before the child is conceived. Thus, the child is born with a dormant form of the lycanthropy gene in their DNA structure. 

These case studies have been scarce, as most people are afraid to be brought out into the open if the suffer from the disease. But it has been said that these 'natural born werewolves' possess the ability to shift their form from that of a human to that of a wolf at will. They also suffer from the same pre- and post- lunar effects as a person who has been infected with the virus. These effects include abnormal strength, heightened hearing and smell, and a change of eye color to a warm amber color. These people have been coined with the name ranula. 

The change is more easily occurred during the week of the full moon, when the subject's body is already in the process of changing. In order to changed, the subject has only to focus on the thoughts and feelings that run throughout their mind during that time of the change. No wand work, spells, incantations, or potions are needed, only the will power to force oneself into the shape desired. 

Since ranula's are rare, there have been no studies based on these allegations. However, from the information gathered, it is possible to control the form of ones body if they are in fact a ranula…..

Sable read over the page a few more times, noting that there were no proven facts to support the claims. But she knew that there was some sliver of truth in what was written in the book, because she had fought back the urge to let her wolf side take over more than once. _'I wonder what would happen if I let it go next time?'_ she thought. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and continued to read for the next few hours. 

She was startled out of her reading by an insistent tapping at the portrait behind her bed. She stood and stretched, taking her time to get there because she knew who it was already. She pulled the warding off of the picture and pulled it open, only to reveal Remus standing in the way.

"Hey." he said. "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" Sable smiled and nodded, moving out of the way so he could get down.

"No, actually I was about to fall asleep." she answered truthfully. 

"Did you find anything helpful in those books Dumbledore sent from the library?" he asked.

"Actually, I think I did." she said with a smile. She grabbed the book and showed him the passage that referred to the changes from human to lupine form. He seemed surprised at the new turn of events.

"Can you do it?" he asked, eyeing her skeptically. "Seems like it would be more than a little dangerous than normal."

"More dangerous than some of the stunts you and the others pull?" she asked with a smile. Remus had the decency to look properly chastised before saying anything.

"Ummm, good point." he muttered. Sable rolled her eyes and put the book down.

"I'm going to ask Dumbledore what he thinks about it, actually." Sable answered. "He should be able to tell me something about it." Remus nodded and looked at the little charmed clock that hung on the wall above her bed. It was going on dinner time, and he had come to get her so she would eat something. He knew that once she got engrossed in her work, it was pointless to try to get her to do anything else.

"Hungry?" he asked suddenly. "I'll bet you haven't eaten all day, have you?" Sable gave him a small grin and nodded.

"I eat this morning." she said defensively. 

"Have you eaten anything since then?" he asked. When Sable shook her head, Remus gave out an overly dramatic sigh and began to push her towards the entrance to her rooms. "You really need to make sure you eat something, Sable." he said. "You can't live off of bread and water, you know. I'm starving. So I know you've got to be hungry."

"I'm so sorry." she said sarcastically. " I didn't know that my diet was being regulated by my goofy boyfriend." Remus grinned and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I just need to make sure you eat something. I know how you get when you get tied up in your work." Sable frowned and rolled her eyes. "You and I are going to dinner, now!" 

"Okay, your highness, lead the bloody way." she sneered playfully. Remus beamed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "But, I've got to make a pit stop in the dungeons afterwards." 

"Why do you need to go to the dungeons?" he asked. 

"I need some more sandalwood for a potion I'm working on, and I'm out. I was going to get some from the student supply cupboard."

"Do we have to?" he whined. "You know I hate going down there. It's too cold."

"You don't have to go, Remus." she said with a teasing smile. "I know you hate going down into those icky dungeons. It's okay. I'll just go down there, get what I need, and be back up." Remus frowned and shook his head.

"I'm not letting you go down there by yourself." he said. "What if you run into Snape, or Flint for that matter?" Sable just smiled and nodded, knowing he would go with her. They made their way to the Great Hall, where Sirius was throwing some kind of fireworks at the younger students. Professor McGonagall finally got so fed up with him that she confiscated the pyrotechnics before dinner was halfway over. Sirius just grinned and pulled more of the pranks he had bought that day out of his pocket. 

Before things could get out of hand, Remus and Sable excused themselves and left to go down into the dungeons. Just like always, the dungeons gave off an unfriendly aura that made Remus shiver. They made it to the student cupboard in the main teaching laboratory and Sable penned a quick note to Professor Treble, telling him what she was borrowing. While she searched through the cupboard trying to find the needed ingredients, Remus took a look around the room.

This was one of the laboratories that Treble only let his Advanced Potions students in, so Remus had never been in there. He looked around at the cauldrons on the tables. One over in the corner caught his attention and he walked over to it. He heard Sable come out of the room and shut the door, but it did not bother him. Sitting in front of him on the table in the middle of the room was a potion that looked and smelled very familiar. Sable came up to him and explained that it was another version of the Wolfsbane Potion. The one she was supposed to be doing for class. She explained that there was one major difference in the mixture though. The one they were looking at would not work on anyone. Remus seemed surprised, but quickly caught on to why she had done that. If Snape decided to be an even bigger prat, he could have slipped something into the cauldron while Sable wasn't there, effectively ruining it. 

Sable turned to leave, and Remus followed her out of the room.

"How can you put up with another year of Potions work?" he asked. "I hate that class." Sable grinned and smiled at her boyfriend.

"Don't complain, you're getting something good out of my work." she said. "Besides, it's not like there are a ton of people in the class with me. In fact there's only about ten of us in there." They continued to bicker playfully on their way back up through the dungeons. Unfortunately, the good mood was lost when they ran headlong into Snape and Flint.

"What are you doing coming from there, Robbins?" Flint sneered. "You have no business in the dungeons after classes have ended."

"If I felt the need to share that information with you, you stupid prick, I would have done so." Sable said firmly. "As it is, I see no reason for you to be concerned about where I've been."

"Flint may have no concerns," Snape drawled, "However, as a Prefect, I do." He glanced over at the two Gryffindors and sneered. "What were you doing down there?" Remus clutched his hands together as a way to keep himself from swinging at the greasy haired boy.

"I was going to the student supply cupboard to get some sandalwood for a potion I am researching, Snape." Sable said coolly. " I left Professor Treble a note telling him of what I had borrowed. You will see that everything is in order and we have not blown anything up. Now let us pass, you slimy snake." Snape regarded the shorter girl with obvious contempt, but proceeded to let the two of them by. Remus gave the two boys a glare that would have made Treble proud before they turned the corner. When they were out of sight, and hearing range, Flint turned to the older boy with a sneer.

"Do you honestly think they were down here getting potions ingredients?" he asked. Snape nodded.

"Yes. She was carrying a vile of sandalwood with her. And I know for a fact that Lily took what was left in her supplies earlier this week." He began walking back up the corridor towards the room Remus and Sable had just come out of. "Besides, nothing has exploded yet. And if they were pulling pranks, we would not have been able to see them since they would probably be hiding under Potter's damned invisibility cloak!" Flint seemed to take that as a good enough explanation. When the two Slytherins entered into the laboratory, Snape went to the cupboard to find some boomslang skin to add to his cauldron of Polyjuice potion while Flint went to disengage the protective charms they had placed around said potion. 

When the Quidditch captain took down the protective wards covering the table the Polyjuice Potion was resting on, his eyes went down into narrow slits. The potion, which had been a goopy, gray color the day before, was not as clear as rainwater, and letting off little wisps of steam. He was no potion fanatic, but something told him that something in the potion had went wrong. _'That can't be right! Snape brewed this potion. And that man does NOT make mistakes, especially when it has something to do with the Dark Lord!' _ he thought.

"Snape! Get over here, now!" he hissed loudly. The other boy came gliding across the room, his robes billowing around him.

"What is it, Flint?" he asked. Flint pointed at the cauldron and hissed.

"Look at this! I'm no potion master, but I am pretty sure _that_ is _not_ Polyjuice Potion!" He barked. Snape peered down into the cauldron, no expression apparent on his face. He took up a ladle and tried to stir the clear concoction, only to find that the ladle was burned in half.

"It's been tampered with." Snape hissed, his eyes narrowing even further in anger. "Someone has changed it to some sort of an acid based liquid!" He retrieved the half eaten piece of ladle from the bottom of the cauldron and pulled out his wand, vanishing the liquid into oblivion. His anger was apparent, and Flint did not try to find out what he thought had happened.

"Lord Voldemort will not be pleased to know that we have failed." Flint said lowly. "And I personally do not want to be the one to tell him that our plan will have to be put off. Who do you think tampered with it anyway? No one knew you were working on it, did they?"

"The only person who knew was you." Snape said fiercely. "But I have a feeling that Potter and his crew are behind this. Robbins and Evans are the only people who would know how to turn Polyjuice Potion into something completely useless."

"There is no way Evans would do it." Flint said. "She might be dating the school's head prankster, but she would not mess with another student's work." Snape seemed to be contemplating the same thing.

"That doesn't mean that Robbins would not." he said. "I have a feeling she has something to do with this." They were broken out of their reverie when the door to the laboratory opened, admitting a small brown haired boy with a Gryffindor cloak on. He looked up and blanched at the sight of the two Slytherin boys. Flint, having his fill of Gryffindors in the dungeons after dark, -and needing to vent some of the frustration he was currently housing- snapped at the boy.

"What are you doing here?" he barked. The little boy seemed to stutter, but caught himself.

"I was supposed to go see Professor Treble for a detention this evening." he said quietly, his Scottish accent marring his words. "I was to report to his office, but I do not know where it is." 

"Stupid Gryffindorks, getting lost in the dungeons." Flint said, rounding on the little boy. "You know what we do to little Gryffies who get lost down here, don't you?" The little boy turned even more pale and shook his head. Flint sneered and begaon walking around the scared first year.

"First, we…"

"Professor Treble's office is three doors down and to the left." came Snape's strident, cold voice. Flint turned around and glared at him for breaking up his fun. "He is not a patient man, so I suggest you go." The little boy nodded and quickly fled from the room, glad to be out of the way. Flint waited until the door was shut and the boy gone before rounding on Snape.

"Take the fun out of scarring the Gryffies shitless, why don't you Snape!" he growled. "That one looked about ready to shit in his pants." Snape turned and eyed the boy stonily.

"We have somewhere to be." he said simply. Flint looked a little confused. But when a sudden pain shot through his left forearm, he knew what Snape had meant. He let a ragged sigh escape his lips as they quickly climbed the stairs leading to the outside of Hogwarts grounds. _'This sure as hell is NOT getting any easier!'_ he thought quickly. 

**__**

A/N - Okay. How'd that chapter go? Remember to leave me a review telling me what you think. Okay. Later.

A.A.


	27. Chapter 27

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was.

A/N - Okay people, here's the next chapter. Hope you guys are enjoying. I'm not going to keep you long. Just remember to leave me a review. Later. A.A.

Oh, by the way, someone emailed me and told me that Remus and Sable didn't really act like a couple too much. Well, I think this chapter will make you feel a little better. And I am absolutely sure that a few chapters from now, you'll see what I mean.

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Sable slid into the chair in the Gryffindor Common Room and let out a strained sigh. It was late Friday night, and she was absolutely exhausted. The week had been Hell, and she was just glad it was over with. It seemed like everything she touched all week had been doomed from the beginning. Her lab had almost been blown up when she accidentally knocked over a few of the vials. Remus had been moody all week. Sirius was acting crazier than normal. And it seemed like Treble was out to get her. 

Snape had been hounding her more than normal. He just wouldn't leave her alone. Every time she got so much as within a hundred feet of the prat, he's have something to say, or he'd glare. He'd even stooped so low as to hex her on the way to her meeting with the children she tutored. She'd had to bodily restrain the Marauders from killing the prat almost everyday this week just because she didn't want them to get in trouble because of her. To top it all off, the full moon was in a few days, and her nerves were at the point of breaking. The Halloween Ball was in three days, and she was aching for the stupid thing to be over with. She let out another frustrated sigh, and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, she was woken out of her rest by a pair of hands on her shoulders.

"You still awake, Sable?" Remus asked, looking down at his girlfriend. She nodded

"I'm fine." she said tiredly. "Just trying to get up enough energy to go to my bedroom."

"You can stay in our room." Sirius said with a grin. "I don't think Moony'd mind." Remus turned to his friend and frowned.

"Very funny." he said. Sable smiled and stood up, matching Sirius in wickedness.

"What's the point in staying in your dorm when I've got my own room?" she asked with a wink in the boy's direction. "Less people. No one to hear what's going on. It's much better than a dorm. Isn't it, Remus?" Sirius only laughed and looked away. Remus looked at his girlfriend and shook his head.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, a grin on his lips. 

"It's the exhaustion talking, love." she said. "I need some sleep."

"You have been working a lot." Remus said. "Let's get you to bed. It's already close to midnight." Sable grinned and went to walk towards the staircase where the portrait to her room was hidden. Sirius obviously took it the wrong way though.

"You sleeping in there with us?" he asked, looking towards the staircase. "I didn't think you'd take us up on that offer."

"No, Pads, I told you already. I'm going to my room." she said. 

"Is Moony coming back tonight?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"If I'm not back in an hour, do me a favor and don't come looking, alright Padfoot." Remus said.

"Got it, Moony." Sirius said happily, his eyes glinting in mischief. "Got to make sure your girl is tucked in, right?"

"Do we need to go get Arabella and make sure she gets YOU tucked in tonight?" Sable said with a grin.

"Hey, I wouldn't mind." Sirius admitted sheepishly. Sable just smiled and shook her head. She pulled the portrait open and climbed into the tunnel that led to her room.

In no time at all, she was standing in her bedroom. She left Remus in the tunnel until she changed into some other clothes to sleep in. She let him in and he sat down on her bed.

"How'd the pranking go?" she asked sleepily. The boys had been out most of the evening since dinner, setting things up for their next prank. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw game was tomorrow, and the boys were supposed to have a surprised planned for both of the Quidditch teams.

"You're going to get a sight in the morning at breakfast." he said. Sable smiled and sat down on her bed next to Remus. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. They were silent for a few minutes before Remus spoke again.

"Tired, love?" he asked quietly. Sable only nodded.   
"It's been a long week." she answered. "Snape's been giving me problems all week. I wish that prat would just go away."

"He's going to get his just desserts in the morning, I promise." Remus said with a grin. Sable smiled and pulled the covers down on her bed, climbing into them.   
"I can't wait." she mumbled, closing her eyes. "I don't want to keep you here, Remus." she said, yawning. "I'm sure you're tired too after all that gallivanting around the castle tonight." The boy only smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, not really." he said. "The full moon's getting close, and I'm getting antsy. It's next week, and I can already feel the change coming on. You know how it is." Sable nodded, knowing where the conversation was going. He wanted to stay with her tonight, and she knew it. He'd already done this a few times. 

"Well, I'm going to sleep. You're welcome to stay here if you don't want to go to the dorms. Lord knows Sirius is not a quiet sleeper." she said. "Night, Remus." She sat up and gave him a kiss, then laid back down and covered up, using her wand to darken the lights in the room. 

"That doesn't sound like a half bad idea." he mumbled. He walked over to Sable's chest of drawers and pulled out one of his clean shirts she had nicked from him at some point in time. He slipped it on and climbed in beside her. Sable shifted to give him some more room, and he climbed in with her.

"When'd you start stealing my clothes?" he asked quietly. 

"I didn't steal it." she said sleepily. "You brought it down here as a precaution incase we had another accident while playing with the 

potions. That way you wouldn't have to run through the Gryffindor Common room half naked, again." He smiled and pulled her to him, relishing in the warmth that she caused. 

The full moon was coming, and he could feel the territorial instincts rising in him again. It was not defined yet, just a fleeting feeling of possession when she was near. He buried his face in the back of her neck and breathed in deep. She was his. And he didn't intend on letting her go anytime soon. 

Now that she knew how he felt about her, he didn't stop himself from staying in some kind of physical touch with her at all times. The little touches helped him think straight at times. Ever since he had been bitten when he was a child, he had avoided people like they were the plague, always afraid that they would hurt him if they ever found out what he really was. 

But when Sable stepped into his life, everything changed. Even back then, when they were eleven years old, she didn't hesitate to give him a hug, or a pat on the back. She knew what he was, because she was one too, and she was not afraid of him because she understood what and who he was. During the two years she had been gone, he had tried to wall himself off again, convinced that she was never going to come back. But, come back she had. And now, he wasn't going to let her go for anything in the world. 

"You're not going anywhere." he murmured as he began to drift off into sleep.

"I wasn't planning on it." she whispered back to him. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, before the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Quidditch game..

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

True to his word, Sirius hadn't come looking for Remus that night when he didn't return to the dorm. They had met up the next morning in the Great Hall with Sirius, Lily, Peter, and James. The boys were sitting on their seats, waiting for their night's work to be shown. 

By the time it was over with, the Quidditch teams from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had to go wash paint off of their faces and out of their hair. And the Slytherins had to take almost half of their House to the hospital wing to have various appendages fixed and/or reattached. Snape seemed to have received the blunt of the torture, seeing as he had absolutely no control over his hands. He kept slapping himself and spurting out little sayings like:

__

Gryffindors are the best House in Hogwarts.

Slytherins are slimy snakes who need to be thrown into the lake.

I need to wash my hair before an oil merchant thinks he's found a new oil field.

Sable had laughed until she was in tears when he said that. Remus had purposely threw that one in there because he had known she would like it. The rest of the Marauders had laughed until their sides were about to split. Even Lily had cracked a smile at the Slytherin antics.

The Quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw was a close call. However, the Ravenclaw Seeker was able to catch the Snitch and end the game a little over an hour into the game. This seemed to throw James into a permanently good mood. Now, Gryffindor's next game would be against Ravenclaw. Sirius disappeared not long after they had gotten back to the Tower. Arabella had invited him to the party in the Ravenclaw Common Room, and he took off. Peter was gone with Amanda, trying to cheer her up from the Hufflepuff's loss. James and Lily were off doing Head's work, so Remus and Sable spent the rest of the day killing time and talking about the upcoming ball. They even sent the Celtic Potion book back to the American Ministry via an untraceable owl that Dumbledore had lent her.

Halloween was in three days, and the students had been given the entire day off as sort of a Halloween present. 

"I just can't wait until this is over with." Sable said. They were playing chess in the Common Room, and Remus was beating her very badly.

"Now don't be a sore loser, love." Remus said. "It's just a game." He chuckled as another one of Sable's pawns fell. She frowned and looked up at him.

"I wasn't talking about the game, Remus." she said. "I was talking about the Ball." She moved her rook across the board and took one of Remus' knights.

"Why? I thought you'd like going to the Ball." Remus asked. He looked down at the board and frowned. He may have taken most of her pieces, but she was about to get him cornered. He moved his king out of the way and sat back, waiting for her move.

"Oh, I don't mind going to the Ball." Sable said. "I just don't like not being able to get a decent conversation out of any of the rest of the female Hogwart's population until this thing is over with." Sable moved her queen piece and sat back. She was going to loose this match, and she knew it.

"It's not that bad is it?" he asked. He saw a play he could set up and moved his pieces into position.

"You try listening to non-stop talk about make-up, fingernail polish and jewelry." she huffed. "It's about annoying." She watched as Remus took another piece.

"It'll be over with in a few days. Then everything will be back to normal." He set the play up and waited for her next move. 

"Normal? Is anything ever normal at this place?" she asked. She pushed her last remaining knight forward.

"Good point." Remus conceded. "Nothing is ever normal around here." He picked up his queen and placed it in front of Sable's king. "Checkmate, love." Sable looked down at the board and frowned. 

"I didn't even see that one coming." she said. Remus grinned and picked the game. Sable stood and watched him. He put the game up and came back to Sable. He gave her a hug and pulled her into a chair. 

"It's okay." Remus whispered. "Sometimes you don't see the best things that happen to you coming. Just take it in stride and with a smile." Sable smiled and hugged her boyfriend. 

"Sounds good to me." she mumbled. "Sounds good to me."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Halloween Night Before the Ball…..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lily!!" Arabella called over her shoulder, "Where is that tube of lipstick?" Lily looked up from her mirror and shrugged.

"I don't know Bella." she said. "I didn't have it."

"Amanda!" Lily said quickly. "You can't go out there without the costume on the right way. You'll give Peter a heart attack!" The Hufflepuff girl grinned and shook her head. 

"I'm going to put the cape on, Lily." she said. "Calm down." 

It had been like this for the past two hours, and Sable was starting to get a headache. Lily had dragged her up into the dorm two hours ago, saying that they needed to start getting ready for the ball. Sable, who was in the middle of a game of Gobstones with Sirius, was unceremoniously dumped in Lily's bedroom and used as a doll for the next hour and a half.

"Guys," Sable said over the din of the three girls getting ready. "you've got five minutes before we're supposed to meet the guys in the Common Room."

"FIVE MINUTESS!!!" screeched Arabella. "Oh Merlin, I'm running out of time!!" Sable grinned as the Ravenclaw girl started searching for her missing shoe.

"Can I go down?" Sable asked. "I'm done." 

"NO!" came the vehement response from all three girls. "We're going down together, and that's final!"

"Okay, geez, don't get your pantyhose in a bunch. I was just asking." Sable said. The other three girls continued to bustle around the room, and Sable was wondering what the guys were doing at the moment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Down in the Gryffindor Common Room…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's taking them so bloody long?" Sirius complained. "They've been going at it for over two hours. How long does it take to get ready for a ball?" James looked over at his best friend and snickered. 

"They'll be down here in a few minutes, Padfoot. Just chill out."

"What's wrong, Padfoot, the tights a little much for you?" Peter asked. Sirius glared and looked down. Arabella had threatened to kill him if he didn't wear the tights. _'I look like a bloody Robin Hood!'_ he thought.

"Calm down, Padfoot." Remus said. "They can't be much longer. They have to meet with Professor Dumbledore, so they won't be much longer."

"That's what you think." James muttered. He knew it took Lily for ever to get ready for things like this. "Just sit down and relax. They'll be here in a little while….."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in Lily's Room….

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lily threw the last few touches onto her costume and looked in the mirror. 

"We're ready." she called out.

"It's about time." Sable muttered. She was a girl, but she wasn't one to take all day to get ready for a ball that was only going to last a few hours.

"Let's go, girls." Arabella said with a grin, adjusting one of her earrings as she came out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, Dumbledore is waiting on us." Amanda said as she stood up. "Don't want to keep the Headmaster waiting." 

The girls grinned and tied their masks on. 

"This is going to be funny as hell." Sable said as they began to descend the steps into the Common Room. "Too bad I don't have a camera to get a picture of their faces." The girls only smiled devilishly as Lily led the way down the stairs as they entered into the Common Room. Behind her were Arabella, Amanda, and Sable. She grinned happily when se saw the boys standing at the foot of the stairs. _'Hmmm,'_ she thought, _'A squire, a peasant farmer, a thief , and a prince for the countess, peasant girl, lady of the court, and princess. Not bad at all. Although it is a good thing that we picked out the boy's costumes. They'd never had gotten anything to match us."_

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and grinned. The boys were too engrossed in their own conversations to notice their entrance. But, everyone else seemed to notice. All of the heads in the Common Room swerved to look at the four girls on the staircase. 

Since James and Lily were the Head students they were expected to be in the Hall before the rest of the student body, as were the Prefects. Amanda was the sixth year prefect for Hufflepuff, and Arabella was the seventh year prefect for Ravenclaw, so they were also supposed to attend. Dumbledore had sent a note to Sable and Remus that he wanted to speak with the both of them before the Ball. As a result of the early summons, all eight of the students were going to t he Hall earlier than usual.

When the bustle in the common room died around them, the Marauders wondered what was going on. They did a quick glance around the Common Room until a discreet cough brought their attention towards the stairway to the girl's dorms. In perfect synchronization, the boys eyes fell on their respective dates, and their eyes bugged out. Whispers were beginning to circulate behind them. The four girls had smug grins on their faces even though the masks covered half of their faces.

"Just the affect we were wanting." muttered Arabella to Lily. The red-head nodded and smiled, stepping down from the stairway. The boys were still gawking. Lily quickly snapped them out of it with a snap of her fingers.

"Ready to go, guys?" she questioned them. The nodded and numbly moved to their respective dates. 

Amanda and Peter, the squire and lady. 

James and Lily, the peasant farmers. 

Sirius and Arabella, the thief and countess. 

Remus and Sable, the princess and the beast. The boys had recovered from the initial shock and headed for the portrait hole with their dates on their arms. 

When they reached to entrance to the Great Hall, the huge double oak doors swung open to admit them into the decorated room. Hundreds of jack-o-lanterns were suspended in midair high above the heads of the students and staff. Live bats flew around them, soon settling on the ledges present around the hall. The four House tables were gone, and in their place were hundreds of smaller tables, each one capable of sitting from two to eight people. They walked up to the Professor's table and stood before Dumbledore, who was dressed in a red Santa Claus suit.

"Ah, yes children, you are here." he said. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, Ms. Keiss, and Ms. Figg, you are to report to your Heads of House for a few last minute instructions. They also have some reminders for you all."

James and the girls nodded and went to find their respective Heads of House. Dumbledore nodded to Sirius and Peter before continuing. 

"Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Black, I believe Madame Pomfrey wants a few words with you. She is waiting for you in the hospital wing." Sirius shot Peter a confused look and shrugged.

"Yes, sir." Sirius said, turning to leave. The wizened wizard finally turned his attention to Sable and Remus.

"Now, Mr. Lupin and Ms. Robbins," he began easily, "I wanted to know how your research has been progressing. Have you made any headway yet in your work, Ms. Robbins?" Sable smiled and nodded. She knew he was referring to the Wolfsbane Potion.

"Yes, sir. I have made much headway with my work. In fact, my main project will be ready for testing again in two days time." Dumbledore nodded and smiled.

"Very well child," he said, " I have every faith in you capabilities as a researcher." He then turned to Remus and nodded gravely. "I assume hat you will be assisting her, Mr. Lupin?"

"Yes, sir. I will be." he nodded.

"Excellent then, excellent! Now, Ms. Robbins, I have one more question for you. Do you recall that conversation we had a number of days ago?" Sable nodded, but Remus was confused. "Well, it occurred to me that Mr. Lupin may be able to help you. I suggest that you try what we spoke about after testing your experiment two days hence." There was a twinkle in the old man's eyes that told of secrets; it was almost mischievous.

"Thank you, Headmaster. I'll do that." she said quickly, trying to drop the subject. Remus caught the quick shift in moods and decided to try and end the conversation. He knew the Headmaster was speaking of her new found ability to shift forms that she wanted to try.

"Is there anything else you require of us, Professor?" he asked.

"No, you are free to go. Have a good evening, children." he said. Remus and Sable thanked the man and turned to go to the table.

"What's he talking about?" Remus asked. "Is that about you supposed to be able to change during the full moon." Sable only nodded.

"I'll finish explaining later." she said.

Remus didn't like it, but he nodded as Sirius and Peter made it to the table with James, Lily, Amanda, and Arabella right behind them.

"What did Pomfrey want with you two?" Remus asked.

"That crazy woman threatened me!! She said that if one person comes to her tomorrow complaining of any symptoms even remotely related to a hangover, she was going to personally hang me upside down in the Slytherin Common Room and hand them sticks to play piñata Black!!!" he fumed. He sat down at the table with a huff and folded his arms like some spoiled little child who had been told he could not get a new toy. 

Sable grinned and shook her head, and the others were smirking and trying to hide it. It was a well known fact that Sirius Black was responsible for spiking the punch at any and all dances or balls. Apparently, the school nurse decided that she was sick of giving cures out to students who were too drunk to remember what happened the night before and decided to take matters into her own hands.

***** Half Hour Later *****

As the rest of the student body filtered into the Great Hall, Sable glanced around at the multitude of costumes. There were ogres, hags, trolls, elves, dwarves, pixies, fairies, and pretty much any other kind of magical being that existed. There were even some costumes from the Muggle side of the world. A set of clowns and a couple of hippies were present in the chaos of the room. All of the costumes were wonderfully colorful; even some of the Slytherin's costumes were more colorful than usual.

Everyone sat at the numerous tables and waited for the feast to begin. McGonagall tapped her wine glass and called everyone to attention. Dumbledore rose and greeted the students, explaining that after everyone was finished eating the ball would begin. With these words, the student set out to finish their food quickly. Many of them were eager to get out on the dance floor. There was an overall feeling of happiness throughout the hall. Even the Slytherin students were mingling with some of the students of the other houses.

__

'Well,' Sable thought,_ 'Will wonders never cease?'_

**********

As soon as the floor was cleared of the tables and chairs, loud music began blaring from an unknown source The majority of the student body congregated o the dance floor and began trying to out do one another. Sable looked over her shoulder and laughed. Sirius and Arabella were in the center of a ragged circle of people, arms flaying and feet kicking. Remus noticed the group too. He pulled Sable over to get a better look. Sure enough, all to see was the Gryffindor prankster and the Ravenclaw prefect dancing away.

"What in Circe's name are they doing?" Remus laughed. "The look like a pair of drowning ducks!" Sable chuckled and watched as they started kicking in time with the music.

"Well, whatever it is, they seem to know what they're doing. They're matched perfectly in time with the music. Not to mention they are completely in synch with each other." she answered. The crowd continued to grow until the song ended. Arabella and Sirius took a playful bow and left the circle. Sable and Remus clapped in appreciation of the show and turned to fight their way out of the crowd.

"Well," came a very snobbish voice, "After that public display of humiliation, I'd hate to see what the other Gryffindors and Ravenclaws dance like." Sable looked to her left at the source of the voice. It was a troll about the height of Remus and built like Sirius. 

"If I were you," Sable snapped, "I wouldn't judge an entire house on the actions of a few." The troll cut his eyes at her and snickered.

"Maybe you need to practice what you preach, Miss Robbins." he said swiftly, before disappearing into the crowd.

And so the ball continued on all evening. The Marauders and their respective dates were constantly being shuffled in between the other students in the hall, barely getting to dance with who they had come with. Sable figured she had danced with most of the guys in the hall because of the way her feet were hurting. Some how, she was back in her date's arms as the next slow song came on. He grinned and nodded to her.

"Having fun?" he asked. She smiled and shook her head.

"Other than the fact that my feet are killing me, I'm fine." she answered truthfully. Remus smiled and took her hand, guiding her back out onto the dance floor. Sable grimaced and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, don't look at me like that," he said, "I think I've only had one dance with you since this ball's began. And you're MY date." Sable only shook her head at him. She looked up and saw the huge blue eyes and adorable pout that only he could pull off, even with half his face covered by a mask. She sighed again and gave into defeat, despite the throbbing in her feet that told her head to tell her to sit down.

"Oh, alright," she conceded, "But I'm doing this under protest!"

"Protest?"

"Yeah," she said, "You did that ridiculous pout again, and pulled it off with half you face covered." Remus smiled and shook his head in an arrogant way that reminded her of Lucius Malfoy.

"Yeah. I'm that good." he said playfully.

"Conceited git!" Sable said. He picked her hand up and kissed it, a small smile playing on his face.

"I am not conceited, my dear." he said, " I am convinced. There is a slight difference." Sable only grinned and shook her head, realizing there was no point in arguing with him. She was in too good of a mood to ruin it anyway with a pointless argument. She felt his arm go around her waist as the song began.

__

I got a funny feeling the moment that you lips touched mine

Something shot right through me, my hear skipped a beat in time

There's a different feel about you tonight, it's got me thinking lots of crazy things

I even think I saw a flash of light, felt like electricity

"And you were going to stay in your lab all night tonight." Remus teased. "You were going to miss out on all this fun." Sable rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Hey, a girl's got to work. Lay off me. Besides, I already told you why I don't like dances all that much." she said. Remus chuckled and decided to keep quiet for a while.

__

You shouldn't kiss me like this unless you mean it like that

Cause I'll just close my eyes and I wouldn't know where I'm at

And we'll get lost on this dance floor spinning around, and around, and around, and around.

They're all watching us now, they think we're falling in love,

They'd never believe were just friends

When you kiss me like this, I think you mean it like that

And if you do, baby, kiss me again.

Everybody swears, we make the perfect pair, but dancing is as far as it goes

Girl you never moved me quite the way you move me tonight

I just wanted you to know.

"Sable, I've got something to ask you. And I want the truth." Remus whispered. Sable was in heaven. Whatever he wanted to know she would tell him because right then, she didn't care.

"Okay, Remus. What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Before the ball, you said Dumbledore had found something different about you. Something you could change. What was it?" he asked. "Is it something besides the shifting that's going on." Sable groaned and rolled her eyes. She had hoped he would wait until later to bring this up.

"If you really want to know, let's go outside and I'll tell you." she said. "I don't want anyone else to hear anything about what I need to say." She stepped out of his embrace and went to walk away, but he caught her an d pulled her back. Sable gave him a puzzled look, but he only smiled in response.

"It can wait until the song is over with." he said simply. Sable smiled and realized then exactly why she liked Remus so much.

__

You shouldn't kiss me like this unless you mean it like that

Cause I'll just close my eyes and I wouldn't know where I'm at

And we'll get lost on this dance floor spinning around, and around, and around, and around.

They're all watching us now, they think we're falling in love,

They'd never believe were just friends

When you kiss me like this, I think you mean it like that

And if you do, baby, kiss me again.

Everybody swears, we make the perfect pair, but dancing is as far as it goes

Girl you never moved me quite the way you move me tonight

I just wanted you to know.

As the song ended, Sable and Remus walked out onto the grounds and into the gardens that led to the lake. There were low lights being emitted from the maze of hedges by small fairies. The two students walked in silence until they reached a safe distance from the castle.

"Alright," Remus said, "What's all the secrecy about?" Sable took her mask of and faced the lake, looking out over the cool depths and seeing the nearly full moon reflected off its surface. She shivered as she felt a cool fall breeze pass over the grounds. Dropping the mask to the ground, she turned to face her friend. 

"Well, it goes something like this." she said. "Dumbledore found a book that has a little information about ranulas in it. And according to the information in the book, I should be able to shift voluntarily between my human form and wolf form at any specific time."

"I know that much already, love. It was in that other book you showed me the other day." Remus asked. Sable nodded her head in affirmative.

" Well, the change occurs exactly like an animagi. The only problem is that the book is in the American branch of the Ministry of Magic. And because one of their books came up missing, they are not allowing anyone to borrow the books out of the Ministry library." she explained.Remus looked at her and shook his head.

"That book that came up missing was the book that you took to make the Wolfsbane potion, wasn't it?" he asked. Sable nodded slowly.

"It's the same one." she affirmed.She started pacing up and down the edge of the bank in frustration. Remus listened as she began to speak very rapidly. "But the thing is, when I was in America and had access to the Ministry library I never found any information on ranulas. And according to Dumbledore, the book the American Ministry has is one of the original Celtic books. It doesn't work out. All of the Celtic books were believed to be gone, other than the potions book. I just don't understand; I would have found it if it was there."Remus stepped in front of her and stopped her pacing.

"Hey, calm down." he said. "Is there any other way of getting the information from the Ministry in America?"

" They told Professor Dumbledore that when they get the potion's book back they will allow the others to be taken out. Until then, no one without authorized permission is allowed in the library. They're too afraid another one will go missing._"_

"Does Dumbledore know that you were the one that took the other book?" Remus asked.

"Yes, he knows." she said. "The thing is, I'm afraid the American Ministry also knows that I took it."

"We already sent it back to them." he said, shrugging his shoulders. " I'm sure they'll understand why you needed it if they do find out you took it." Sable shook her head.

"You don't understand, Remus." she sighed, "If they know I took it, I'm going to be in major trouble. That's why I was so anxious to find out if the Wolfsbane potion worked before I sent it back. Dumbledore told me that the American Minister of Magic said that if the book is returned in safe condition, no questions will be asked. They just want to know who took it, and why. If the perpetrator brings it back unharmed, they won't do anything to them."

"So why are you so scared for them to find out that it is you?" he asked. 

"The American Minister is a man named Neal Willington. Does that ring any bells?" she asked. He was surprised at the quick change in subject, but said nothing about it. Remus racked his brains out for the source of the familiar name. He had heard it somewhere before, but where.

"I know it from somewhere. Who is he?"

"Neal Willington is the oldest son of the Willington family. His entire family consists of lying, cheating, back stabbing bastards that you can't trust. I'm afraid that when he finds out that I took it, all those promises of getting off scott free will be retracted."

"Why would he do that? He doesn't like you are something?" Remus asked, wondering what she done to make him so mad.

"When we were in America, I met the Willington family. Let's just say that if you are not a pureblooded wizard or witch with plenty of money, you're not worth their time. When they found out that both of my parents were lycanthropic, they found out that I was a ranula. Neal Willington's youngest daughter started running on at the head about how anything that has wolf blood in it is unfit for society. We were at a dinner party that night she said that. Well, my parents had to stand there and take the criticism and condemnations because they needed a job, and Neal Willington was sitting next to his spoiled rotten bitch of a daughter listening to her condemn my parents because of something that wasn't even their fault. Let's just say that when I got little miss smarty pants by herself, she suffered a few defamations. Namely a black eye, a sprained wrist, and a very deflated ego."

"You beat up the Minister's daughter?" he asked incredously. 

"Yep. The little bitch deserved it too. You don't mess with the people I love. " she stated. She chuckled and shook her head before continuing. "If the other members of the Ministry hadn't had gotten me away from her, she probably would have had a few curse scars on her too."

"No wonder the family doesn't like you." he said. "You nearly killed their daughter."

"Hey, I was under the influence of the full moon." she said. "It was the night before the full moon. She knew what she was getting into when she started running her mouth. Because of that, I'm afraid he will retract anything he says about the person who took it getting off the hook. He doesn't like me, and any reason to diss me or my parents is right up his alley." Remus chuckled and changed the subject.

"So exactly what did that book say about you changing?" he asked. "I never got to finish reading it." Sable shrugged and turned to face the lake again.

"I don't know exactly. All I know is that my body changes at the same rate that an infected person's does. Like you for example. The thing is that it is better to practice the transformations the week of the full moon because my system is already in a transitional phase due to the full moon. It's supposed to be easier during that time. I don't know."

"You can change only during the week of the full moon?" he asked.

"No. According to what Willington told Dumbledore, with practice I would be able to change whenever."

"Why didn't you tell us about this sooner, Sable?" Remus asked, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You know we would help you if we could." Sable nodded and leaned on her friend.

"I know you would have. I just didn't want to get my hopes up , and then let them come crashing down. I was going to try it myself before I told anyone else. That way if I flunked, I wouldn't have to tell anyone else."

"You're afraid of letting anyone see you fail at something?" he asked playfully. She only shrugged and gave a half hearted smile.

"Something like that." she said. Remus smiled and nodded, happy that she had finally admitted to what he had always known. 

"How do you manage to get yourself into so much trouble?" Sable smiled and laughed.

"Just lucky, I guess." she stated. "Besides, I only took the book because I thought I would find something to help you and my parents. I had good intentions."

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, Sable." he reminded her.

"Well then I'm headed straight to Hell." she said with a smile. Her mood had changed again, and this time to a happier one. "Care to join me. I hear it's never cold down there. The weather is supposed to be toasty warm all year round. It's better than the Caribbean, or so I've heard." Remus smiled and shook his head. _'Leave it to her to lighten up a mood by telling you she's going to Hell.'_ he thought.

"You're something else, you know that?" he asked.

"That's what I've been told once or twice." she said quietly. She looked back up at the moon and smiled. "We've only got two more days before she's full, Remus." she said.

"I know. Don't remind me." he answered. "I can feel the changes in me now."

"What's it feel like?" Sable asked quietly.

"What?"

"What's it feel like to change into your wolf form?" she said. Remus shook his head, not knowing what to tell her. Especially if she was going to try to change into her own wolf form.

"It's different." he began. "You can feel you insides morphing into something else. You feel your bones forcefully reshaping themselves. The pain is immense, but it is all overshadowed by something else. Your pain-relief potion helped, but just not on all the pain. I could still feel it at times. Another thing that bothered me before the Wolfsbane Potion was finished was my mental abilities. When I changed before, my human instinct begins to battle with my more base instincts. I want to throw away all logic and concentrate only on satisfying the savage side of my personality that erupts during the duration of the full moon. It's horrible to fight such an internal battle like that every month. It makes you feel like your losing your sanity." He pulled away from her and stooped down to pick up a small stone and throw it into the lake, causing the placid surface of the lake to ripple outwards from the point of impact.

"Is it like that every time?" she questioned.

"No. Not every time." he said, picking up another stone. "When I'm upset or depressed, my mind wants to give in more quickly to my urges and base instincts. And I almost fall into the trap. But when I'm happy or excited, the changes aren't so hard because I have something good to focus my mind on. The only good side to the changes is the sense of freedom I get when I run through the forest. It's like some weird voice in my head that tells me to ...... to ..... enjoy the freedom while it lasts. That when I'm like that, I can rule the entire world because everyone fears what I am. I feel like nothing can hurt me when I change." Sable smiled in understanding and nodded. Both of her parents had told her similar things when she had asked them before.

"Sounds like an Alpha-Male complex to me." she chuckled. Remus smiled and threw another stone into the water, grateful for her trying to lighten the mood. "At least the Wolfsbane Potion stops some of it." she said.

" Yeah, before you made the potion, it was a pain. The urges that you get when you change are kind of like the ripples in the pond." he said. "They surface with a strong emotion, be it fright, anxiety, pain, even love. If you fight it, it will eventually move away and decrease in intensity. Just like when the ripples move out and get weaker, before finally disappearing completely. They stay gone until you see or hear something that makes you react strongly. Then they surface again and the battle starts all over again. It's a cynical circle. You never get out of it." Sable nodded and walked over to where he was standing. She hugged him and looked up at him.

"How about we get back into the Hall?" she asked. "If we are both going to go through Hell for the next few days, we might as well have fun while we can." Remus nodded and offered his arm to her in a gentlemanly fashion.

"Sounds wonderful to me, my lady." he said. "Would you mind if I escort you back?" Sable picked up her mask and tied it back on. With a smile she turned back to her date.

"Not at all, my lord. I am yours to command." she answered slyly. They both laughed and made their way back up into the Hall. "Besides," she said happily, "we've got a costume contest to win tonight." Remus laughed and thanked whatever gods may be to have a her. 

__

'She's a rare one, Remus.' came a little voice, _'Keep a hold of her.'_

'I intend to.' he thought. _' I fully intend to.' _

As they entered back into the Hall, Remus and Sable spotted Peter, Amanda, and Lily at the table. They threaded their way through the crowd and sat down at the table.

"There you are!!" Peter said. He grabbed Remus' sleeve and pulled him to his feet. "Come with me, James wants all of us." Remus looked over a the girls and they shrugged, having no idea what was going on. The two boys left the table and two minutes later, Arabella was sitting with them.

"Does anybody know what's going on?" she asked. "Sirius just left me on the dance floor without an explanation as to why." The other girls shook their heads in confusion. 

"I have a feeling someone's planning a prank." Amanda said. Lily looked over at the girl and frowned..

"What do you mean?" she asked quickly. _'I'll personally wring James' neck if they prank anyone in here tonight!!!'_ she thought.

"Well, Peter let it slip that they were planning on doing something tonight. He didn't tell me what though." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"There's not a bit of telling with those four." Arabella commented dryly. Sable nodded and watched as another song came on and the other students began dancing. The girls sat down for the next few songs, each one recuperating from the large amounts of dancing they had been doing. As the next slow song came on, Sable felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around and stood up; coming face to face with a boy dressed as a vampire. _'And not just any vampire,'_ she smiled, noting the Transylvanian crest on the cloak, _'Count Dracula himself.'_ The boy bowed and extended his hand respectfully.

"May I have this dance, m'lady?" he asked quietly. Sable smiled and nodded. _'Remus won't mind if I dance with someone else while he's gone.'_ she thought. 

"Of course." she said. The count took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. As the music began, she tried to figure out who her mystery partner was. She had been doing that all evening, trying to figure out who everyone was. Only this time, she had absolutely no idea who this boy could possibly be.

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Meanwhile, the pranking Marauders were underneath the tables along the wall, hidden by the thick cloths that hung around the edges.

"James, what's all this about?" Remus asked crossly. The Head Boy smiled and held out a handful of fireworks.

"We're going to prank some of the people in here." he explained. Remus was suddenly interested and he got down to business.

"What's the plan?" he asked. 

"The next time someone comes up here to get something to drink, we put these near their feet." Sirius explained. "They have sticky glue on them so they stick to the bottom of the clothes. After we get enough people stuck, we say the release spell and they blow up." 

"Effectively startling the victims and causing some serious burns to the ones we really don't like." Peter finished with a grin. Remus nodded and quickly got caught up in the infectious, mischievous happiness of his friends.

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As the song ended, Sable still hadn't figured out who her partner was. She had done a run through of all of the boys she knew that fit the physical description. Still, no one came to mind. His hands were light in her hand and on her waist, his dancing was perfect. As the final chord slipped away, they broke away and smiled at each other.

"Thank you for the dance, m'lady." he said respectfully. 

"Well, you're quite welcome, Count." she said with a smile. "You are a wonderful dancer. I enjoyed it thoroughly."

"Well, would you like something to drink?" he asked.

"Why not?" she said, making her way to the tables with the mysterious Count.

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The boys saw a couple pairs of feet coming their way. They couldn't tell which was which, so they carefully put the fireworks around the edge of the cloaks when they appeared. The glue on the fireworks worked like a charm, effectively sticking to whatever it came in contact with. Before thirty seconds was over, the four boys had put the explosives on all of the cloaks and hems that were presented to them. _'This is going to be hilarious.'_ James snickered. He could hear the voices of some of his classmates above him. But the voice that caught all of their attentions was Sable's. Remus and the others heard the voice and turned three shades of pasty before realizing that they had just loaded the hem of her dress down with about two dozen Filibuster Fireworks. _'Oh Shit!!' _Sirius thought, _'We're dead meat!!'_

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"Well, how are you enjoying the dance, m'lady?" They heard a male voice ask.

"It's quite nice, thank you." Sable answered truthfully. "I am really enjoying myself tonight." She smiled at the polite stranger and wondered once again who he was. _'Remus better look like showing up soon.'_ she thought, _' Where did he run off to?'_

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"Shit!! James, get those fireworks away her! That's Sable!" Remus said in a hushed whisper. James nodded and tried to retrieve the fireworks, but the gown was covered. There was no way they were going to come off.

"I can't get them off!" James said frantically. "They are stuck to the dress. I need my wand to get them off."

"Well, where's it at?" Sirius asked quickly. He normally wouldn't worry about what happened to her during a prank, but he knew what would happen if she was caught up in a prank that they weren't supposed to be doing.

"I don't have it." James said, " I left it in my dorm."

"Well find a way." Peter squirmed. "I don't want to be on the receiving end of her temper again. Once is enough for me, thanks."

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"So, did you come to the ball alone, if you don't mind me asking that is" the Count said. "I've seen you dancing with a number of people tonight, but no one more than once." Remus was startled out of his lapse of fear with the mystery boy's words. He listened closely and could hear Sable's light chuckle.

"Have you been watching me?" she asked. The vampire only nodded and motioned for her to continue. "As a matter of fact, I do have a date to the ball, but unfortunately he's disappeared on me. I don't know where he went." 

"He's a fool," the vampire stated simply. Sable glared at the boy and frowned. If anyone was going to insult him, it would be her. _'If anyone gets to diss him, it's me!' _she thought angrily. _'Not some mystery boy dressed in a vampire suit. Who does he think he is??' _The boy realized that she had taken offense and quickly back tracked to keep her from getting angry. In reality, he knew exactly how bad she could get when she was riled up enough. And insulting one of her friends was one of the best ways to get her angry. _'Especially if it has anything to do with that idiot, Remus Lupin.'_ he thought wryly. 

"He's a fool to leave such a lovely woman alone at a gathering of this measure." he smoothed over quickly. Sable caught the cover up, but decided to let it go.

Remus began to get angry. This guy was trying to sweet talk his Sable. He glanced back at the other boys who were trying to hide grins. They had heard the exchange between Sable and the boy. Remus glared and crawled over to see if could see who the mystery boy was. All he could see was a boy with slicked back black hair and a white mask.

"Oh, he's no fool, my friend." Sable countered. "He's probably just gone to the bathroom."

"But m'lady," the boys aid smoothly, picking up Sable's hand and kissing it gently, "He should be careful leaving you alone. There are creatures who would like for you to keep them company for the evening. Night prowlers who seek the company of a pretty, young lady."

"Well," Sable said smoothly, trying to tamp down her rising anger, "I have yet to encounter a creature such as that on these grounds."

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"Hey, Moony!" Sirius prodded, "Sounds like Count Dracula up there has Sable in mind for his next meal. You better look for bite marks on her neck in the morning." The others started snickering and grinning like maniacs.

"Stuff it, Padfoot!" he growled back.

"Hmmmmm.... someone's a little touchy." Peter said. Remus only growled in frustrated anger at his friends. His territorial instincts were starting to emerge, and Dracula-boy was definitely overstepping his bounds on Moony's territory.

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"Well, m'lady," the vampire drawled, "you must be very careful for there are many creatures with hidden intentions in this hall."

"Are you one of those creatures, my lord?" she asked pointedly. The boy bowed and gave her a winning smile.

"That, fair lady, you may never know." Sable nodded at the boy. He seemed to get the hint though. "I am afraid I have insulted you, lady. I am sorry."

"It's alright." she said. "I am rather protective of my friends." 

"I would like to keep you company until your date decides to return, if that is okay with you." Sable decided not to be so hard on the guy. She nodded and took his hand.

"To keep me safe from all of those creatures with less than honorable intentions, right?" she teased playfully.

"Aye, m'lady." the boy said. "And to get another dance with the prettiest girl in the school." Sable felt her cheeks blushing at the compliment. 

"I think that can be arranged." she said.

"Well, let us go before your companion decides to return and steal you away from me. Or before I say something else to make you mad."

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Remus watched underneath the cloth as the two walked away. He and the others quickly emerged from behind the table. He looked out over the crowd and spotted Sable and the vampire dancing. He gritted his teeth to help control the territorial instincts that had risen in him. James noticed his friends inner turmoil and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Moony, she's still in your sights." he said. "She's just dancing with the guy. It'll be over with in a few minutes."

"I don't like it." Remus said flatly.

"Then do something about it, idiot." Sirius said. "I told you there were guys who had their eyes on her, even if you two are together. Looks like this one has the gall to do more than just talk." Remus just stood there, transfixed to the spot. He watches as the vampire bent down and whispered something to Sable. Whatever it was was funny because she started laughing as he twirled her around. He was in agony until the song ended. The vampire turned to the doorway to outside and motioned for her to follow. He was trying to get her to go outside with him, and Remus did not like it one bit. Sable suddenly frowned and shook her head. Remus couldn't tell what she was saying, but he could figure it out. After a few seconds of watching the two, the vampire bowed and kissed Sable's hand before turning to leave the dance floor.

The other three Marauders were back with their dates, so Remus threaded his way though he crowd to sable. He crept up behind her and covered her eyes with his hands. 

"Guess who." he said.

"Ummmmmm..... It wouldn't happen to be .....Remus would it?"

"I don't know, would it?" he asked. He felt her smile and laugh.

"Remus Jason Lupin," she growled, "you better let me go now!" Remus laughed and let her go. She turned around and smiled.

"Where'd you run off to?" she asked.

"Just a little prank idea, nothing major." he said. He chanced a glance down at her dress and immediately saw the tell-tale red Filibuster Fireworks label. _'Please don't set one of them off, Sable. You'll clean house with all of us this time.'_ he thought.

"Did it go through?" she asked. Remus jumped at the question and stuttered.

"Did what go through?" he said guiltily. Sable looked at him oddly and shook her head.

"The prank, silly." she said. "Did it work?"

"Not quite the way we wanted it to." he answered. Sable shrugged and nodded. The clock struck midnight and Dumbledore rose from the teacher's table. The students quieted down immediately and found their seats.

"I have the results for the costume contest." he said loudly. "Would the following couples please come forward. Matthew Pearson and Mindy Cantrell of Hufflepuff. Kyle Peters and Ashley Zela of Ravenclaw. Remus Lupin and Sable Robbins of Gryffindor. Dwayne Runez and Terri Fulton of Slytherin." Remus grinned and pulled Sable up to the platform where the teachers were standing. The four couples formed a straight line and faced their respective Houses. 

The Hufflepuff couple was dressed as a set of clowns with big red noses and painted on smiles. Their shoes were about three times too big and the suits were a mirage of mixed up material. All in all, Sable thought it was cute. The Ravenclaw couple was dressed as Mother Nature and Father Time. Ashley had a costume made of leaves and twigs somehow woven together to form a dress. She also had a set of gossamer wings attached to her back. Her make-up reminded Sable of the Muggle version of fairies. Kyle had a long white beard and glasses coupled with brown robes and a knotty cane. It reminded her of Dumbledore. The Slytherin couple was dressed as two band members from the wizard band _CURSE_. Ripped t-shirts, heavy gothic make-up, and spiked dog collars were the look for both of them. Remus and Sable were dressed as Beauty and the Beast from the Muggle fairytale.

Dumbledore stood up and waited for the commotion to die down before continuing. He held up his hands and the hall began to quiet down.

"Now, due to the extreme difficulty of the decisions. The first, second, and third runners up will get a consolation prize." he said. "Now, the moment is here. I will announce the winners of this year's costume contest. "Third runner up is ....... Kyle Peters and Ashley Zela of Ravenclaw." The two teens smiled and walked up to the platform to receive their prizes. After getting the little baskets, they went to sit down at their table. "The second runner up is...........

Dwayne Runez and Terri Fulton of Slytherin." Once again, the students gathered their prizes and went to their table. "The first runner up is...... Matthew Pearson and Mindy Cantrell of Hufflepuff. And your winner for this year's costume contest is Remus Lupin and Sable Robbins of Gryffindor." The Great Hall burst out clapping and shouting at the winners. Remus and Sable shook hands with Matthew and Mindy before going to get their prizes. When they got back to the table where the others were sitting at, they both had smiles on their faces the size of St. Andres Fault. The music had started again and everyone knew it would be the last song of the night. Remus pulled Sable to him and grinned.

"Let's finish this dance, shall we?" he asked. Sable nodded and smiled, content to do whatever he wanted.

__

We've been friends for a long, long time. 

You tell me your secrets, and I tell you mine.

She's left you all alone, and it feels like no one cares.

But I've never failed you, I've always been there.

You tell your story, it sounds a bit like mine.

It's the same old situation it happens every time.

Can't we see it, oh maybe you and me, it's what's meant to be,

But do we disagree

What if I told you, What if I said, that I love you.

How would you feel, what would you say, what would we do?

Do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine

Or will I loose a friend, or find a love that never ends

What if I said.

James and Lily smiled as they saw their two friends finish the last dance together. They both knew that Remus and Sable complemented each other perfectly. They needed to be around each other just to keep the other in line. James snickered and Lily looked up at him.

"What is it, James?" she asked.

"I was just thinking that Sirius actually listened to us when we told him to stay away from playing match maker with those two. It actually worked." Lily smiled and shook her head. _'If he only knew.' _she thought, _'If he only knew.'_

She doesn't love you. Oh, it's plain to see.

If I could read between the lines of what you're telling me.

And he doesn't hold you the way a woman should be held.

How long can I go on keeping these feelings to myself.

What if I told you, What if I said, that I love you.

How would you feel, what would you say, what would we do?

Do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine

Or will I loose a friend, or find a love that never ends

What if I said.

Oh we both had our share of loneliness

So what's to say that we can't have a little happiness.

And if I found that in you 

It would make my dreams come true

Or would you walk away

Or hear what I had to say 

Sirius watched as Moony and Sable danced the song through. He was glad that Remus had finally found someone besides them to confide in. He knew that sometimes having a good friend that was a girl to go to helped out when things got hectic. Not that he didn't love James and the others, but girls just seemed to understand people better. They caught onto subtle feelings and problems that bothered people easier than guys.Most girls were understanding and sympathetic, and that is what guys need sometimes. _'Keep a hold on her, Moony.'_ he thought, twirling Arabella around the floor._ 'You need her more than you realize, my friend.' _However, across the room, Sable's dance partner, the Count, was seething in anger at the sight of her dancing with Remus. _'She has no idea what she's doing with him. Too bad she doesn't seem to see what is right in front of her. But don't worry Sabriel, one day I will have you all to myself, no matter what anyone else at this ridiculous school says.'_ The vampire frowned and swept from the Hall, heading back to his Common Room with a fierce determination that rivaled any other emotion he was feeling, even the love for the girl who was currently in the arms of one of his enemies.

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What if I told you, What if I said, that I love you.

How would you feel, what would you say, what would we do?

Do we dare to cross that line between your heart and mine

I've always wondered from the day that we met

What if I said

What if I said

Oh, what if I said

After the song finished, the students began to filter out of the Hall and towards their respective dorms. Remus and Sable were the first ones back to Gryffindor Tower. They slipped into the hidden passageway and were in Sable's room before anyone was the wiser. They said their goodnights and Remus climbed back into the portrait hole, going up to the tower. He spent another half hour getting ready for bed before finally crashing on his four-poster bed. He felt something under his back and set up. Pulling back the blanket, he found a note folded up. He opened it and out fell two red Filibuster Fireworks. He glanced at the note and smiled.

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Next time, make sure to put them somewhere the victims **won't** see them. Oh, and do me a favor and don't use the table as a hiding spot. It's too obvious. 

Love,

Sable

Remus laughed and threw the fireworks onto his night stand and pulled the covers up over him. That night, both of them slept more soundly than before.

**__**

A/N - Cheesy, sappy, clichéd ending I know. Well, I'm sorry ya'll but it seems like my chapter s are getting worse (Or is it just me?) Probably not. Well, like I said. Leave me a review telling me what you guys think. 


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer - It's not mine, never was

A/N - Hello everyone. Here is the next chappy just for you guys. I hope you enjoy. Later. Oh, and I plan on getting this story back to where it was before it was deleted very soon, as well as adding the next few chapters. So hang in there with me, please.

A.A.

Confinement

It had been two days since the Halloween Ball and the entirety of Hogwarts seemed to be in a very good mood…all except Remus. The poor boy was growing more agitated the closer it came to the full moon, which was only two days away. Although he head seemed perfectly healthy during the days preceding the Halloween festivities, he now showed the signs of a coming full moon. He was pale, moody, and overly protective of Sable. He glared at any boy who talked to her, and he even snapped at one of the little Ravenclaw second-year girls Sable had been tutoring Thursday evening after dinner.

Sable, her own nerves at their breaking point because of the coming full moon, was starting to get annoyed with him. After she had sent him to the Gryffindor Common Room when he had snapped at the little girl, she finished up helping the children, gathered her books, and left for the Common Room. When she got there, the sight that greeted her was not one she wanted to see.

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*Flash Back*

On the couch near the fireplace was an extremely annoyed looking Lily and an extremely amused James. She noticed Remus and Sirius in the furthest corner, obviously deep in discussion about something. Walking into the room, she dropped her bag by a table and went to where James and Lily were sitting.

"Hey guys." she said. "No patrols tonight?" James shook his head and Lily only 'hmphed' as a response. Sable looked at James, her eyebrows raised in a silent questioning. James only nodded towards Remus and tried to hid a grin. "All right, Lily. What happened? You're sulking like a three year old. The only time you have that look is when you and James are fighting, and seeing as how he's still sitting here in one piece and breathing, I'm guessing it is something else." Lily glared up at the girl and stood up, pointing towards Remus and Sirius.

"Your boyfriend is an insensitive git! That's what's wrong!" she yelled. Sable took a step back and watched as Lily stalked over to the portrait leading into the Head's dormitories. When they heard the portrait slam shut, Sable turned to James and frowned.

"What was all that about?" she asked. "Remus and Lily always get along." James gave her an amused smile and ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"I don't think it is wise to have two Gryffindors who are having their monthly mood swings within a five mile radius of each other." he said. Sable nodded and gave a wry grin.

"Poor, Remus." she said. "I take it they got into an argument?"

"Poor Remus is right." he laughed, knowing first hand how bad Lily got when she had mood swings. "I walked in here and those two were having the biggest row in Gryffindor history, and that's including the ones Sirius and I get into. All I caught was Remus calling her '**queen of mood swings' ** and Lily accusing him of being '**an insensitive prat who hasn't got a lot or room to talk'**." Sable laughed and picked her bag up, rummaging through it until she found a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate. She handed it to James and grinned.

"Go give that to her and tell her it's a peace offering on behalf of Remus." she said. " I know what she's going through right now, and she'll appreciate it." James took the chocolate and shook his head.

"What is it with girls and chocolate?" he asked. "Lily eats this stuff like crazy when she gets all moody like this."

"To be honest, I couldn't tell you, James. All I know is that it works.. Now go get a move on before she gets and madder and does some permanent rearranging of the furniture in your dorms." James stood up and frowned when he caught sight of a glowering Remus in the corner staring at him.

"What about Moony?" he asked, looking at the boy in question. "He doesn't look too happy right now." Sable only shook her head.

"I'll take care of Mr. Mood Swing." she grinned. "Don't worry about it. Now go!" James wasted no more time getting to the portrait and into the Head's Common Room, bar of chocolate in hand. Sable picked her bag up and walked over to Sirius an Remus with a smile.

"Hey fellas." she said. "How's it going?"

"Could be better." Sirius mumbled.

"Yes, so I've heard." she said, eyeing Remus, her amusement obvious.

"I didn't do it." he said angrily, reminding Sable of a little child who had just been scolded. "It's not my fault she's so moody right now." Sirius rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Sable, on the other hand, only nodded and pulled Remus out of his chair.

"Alright, that's it, Remus. You're coming with me." she stated.

"What? Were am I going?" he asked grumpily. 

"Sirius, tell the teachers Remus isn't feeling well in the morning when you guys go to class." she said. "And you, Mr. Lupin, are coming with me before you pop off at some other unsuspecting, innocent person." Sirius grinned, knowing Sable would have his friend back to normal in a little while.

"You plan on letting him come back up here tonight?" he asked, a mischievous grin on his face. Remus let a low growl escape his throat at the insidious question, but Sable shook her head in aggravation.

"Like he said before," she said. "If he's not back by the time you guys go to sleep, don't come looking."

"Yes, ma'am." he grinned. " Night, Moony. Sleep tight." he called out as they slipped behind the staircase and towards the portrait that led to her rooms.

"You plan on keeping me in confinement all day tomorrow?" Remus growled. Sable stopped walking and looked at him. He was pissed, and she could tell. 

"I'm not confining you anywhere, love." she said gently, hugging him tight. "I just figured you and I could take a trip to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Just to get away from everyone for a day. We both know it'll help." Remus, who had calmed a little with her embrace, smiled at her. She was right. Getting away from the other students, if only for a little while, would help to clear his mind.

"You're willing to skive off classes to go to Hogsmeade?" he asked, climbing through the portrait they had arrived at and letting himself down into her bedroom.

"Yes, only for you." she said with a grin. "Besides, I just gave James my last bit of chocolate to pacify Lily with. I gotta restock."

"What is it with girls and chocolate?" he asked, watching her grab some clothes a to sleep in.

"I don't know. It just makes us feel better." she said, throwing him some clothes to sleep in. She intended to keep him away from the other students until Saturday, meaning he was staying in her room tonight. "With the size of that chocolate bar, Lily should be feeling a little better by now." Remus suddenly got a mischievous look in his eyes as he walked over to her, stopping her from going into her lab to change clothes.

"What about something to make me feel better?" he whispered to her. "Lily shouldn't be the only one to gets special treatment. After all, I'm just as guilty about the fight as she was." Sable turned around and gave him a kiss that left them both breathless. She smirked and ruffled his hair when he rested his head on her shoulder and gave a contented sigh.

"You get to spend tonight and all day tomorrow with me." she teased. "That should be able to make anyone feel better."

"Hmm. Better than chocolate, for me at least." he mumbled. Sable laughed and opened the door to her lab, pulling out of her boyfriends' embrace.

"Get changed." she said. "We're gonna have a busy day tomorrow. And you look like you could use some sleep." Remus grinned and waited until the door was shut to quickly change into the sleep clothes. Two minutes after he had pulled his shirt on, Sable walked in, wearing her pajama pants and tank top. No words were spoken between the two as they climbed into Sable's bed and pulled the covers up. The only thing Sable heard before she drifted off to sleep was Remus' own sleepy voice.

"Mine."

*_End Flashback*_

Needless to say, Friday morning after breakfast, Remus and Sable slipped through the passage that led into Hogsmeade. They spent all day in the little wizarding village, and when they finally drug themselves back through the tunnel and onto Hogwarts grounds, Remus was in a highly better mood. As soon as they got to the Great Hall for dinner, Sirius, James, and Peter immediately immersed him in the newest prank their scheming minds had come up with, something to do with Snape in a grass skirt and coconut bra.

Sable got her missed assignments from Lily and they all had a peaceful meal. As they whole group walked back to the Common Room after dinner, Sable glanced out of one of the windows, taking note that the full moon was the very next night. Remus seemed to sense where her thoughts were stationed and pulled her closer to him as the ascended the steps into Gryffindor Tower.

"It'll be fine." he said. "Tomorrow will be over and done with before we know what's happened."  
"Always the optimist, huh Remus?" she asked he grinned and nodded, having all the faith in the world in the girl that stood beside him.

-Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Dorms…-

Snape paused in his writing to glare at the boy pacing the room.

"Will you stop that incessant pacing already? You're wearing a hole in the floor." Flint looked over at the lank haired boy and scowled.

"How can you be so calm?" he asked. "There are going to be Death Eaters crawling around this place tomorrow night. Aren't you the least bit worried that we'll get caught?"

"I really do not think that old bat Dumbledore is going to be patrolling the Forbidden Forrest in the middle of the night." Snape pointed out. "We have nothing to worry about."

"But tomorrow night is the full moon." Flint pointed out. "What about Lupin?" 

"Lupin and his buddies will be holed up in the Shrieking Shack by this time tomorrow." he sneered. "They are of no concern to us."

"What about Robbins?" he asked. "Didn't you want to see if she popped off to the Shack also?"

"I'll take care of that before we are required to leave for the Forrest." he said. "I'll find out what I need to know tomorrow, seeing as how she wasn't in class this morning."

"She wasn't in class?"

"No. Evans told Treble that she was sick. But Lupin wasn't there either." Snape said.

"Humph. Likely story if they were both out." Flint said. A comfortable silence fell between the two young men, each one contemplating the course of the next day. Flint looked over at the other boy and frowned. "Do you really thing the girl is a werewolf, Severus?" Snape looked up at him, and Flint almost thought he saw something akin to sadness in his eyes before he shook his head.

"I do not know, Cody." he said fiercely. "But I intend on finding out….and soon."

****

A/N - Hello everyone out there. I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Once again, sorry about taking so long to update. Things have been hectic. Well, remember to leave me a review telling me what you think. 

Later.


	29. Chapter 29

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was

A/N- Okay everyone. Here is the next chappy, just for you to enjoy (I hope). 

Remus' Surprise

Saturday morning, Sable found the Marauder s in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Taking her seat next to Lily and across from Remus, she wished them all a good morning. Sirius and Peter, being the exuberant morning people they were, only groaned and kept on eating. About that time, the morning mail arrived and Sable spotted her mom's owl in the passel of winged creatures. Dropping the letter in front of Sable's plate, the bird perched itself on her shoulder. Sable opened the letter and read it after she fed some toast to the owl.

**__**

Baby girl, 

Your father and I are currently in an undisclosed location. I wish I could tell you more, but…well…you know how this job is.

Anyways, onto a more lighter note, how did the Halloween Ball go? Since we didn't get the costume back with a Howler attached to it telling us how bad our taste in clothing is, I'm assuming you wore it. I hope you had a wonderful time, sweetheart. Daddy and I miss you terribly.

I'm running short on time, so I'll let you go. Just remember that if you need anything, send a letter by Aphrodite. She knows were to find us.

Love always,

Mom and Daddy

P.S. If you want an idea of what we've been doing, read the Daily Prophet.

P.S.S. Give our love to Remus and the others.

Sable folded the letter back up and slipped it into her pocket. Breaking off a few more pieces of bread, she fed it to Artemis before the owl took flight once again. She watched the owl soar out of the windows and off towards the horizon.

"Letter from your parents?" Remus asked her.

"Yeah." she said. "They didn't say much though. Just that I should watch the paper to find out what they had been doing."

"And for a good reason, too." Peter said, showing then the headlines of the newspaper. "Two more Muggleborn witches were found dead inside the Bulgarian Embassy yesterday. They suspect a Death Eater attack, according to the paper, but no one knows for sure, yet." James took the paper and scanned over it after Peter had finished and Sirius had stolen the sports section.

"I wish these attacks would stop." James sighed. "I hate to see innocent people being killed just because they are not pure blooded."

"What kind of monster would do something like this?" Lily asked, shaking her head. "That's the third attack in a month."

"Have you heard anything from your parents, Sirius? They are Aurors too." Sable said. "Mine aren't telling me anything."

"Mummy dearest hasn't said anything other than keep yourself safe and stay out of trouble." Sirius answered. "But dad said that the number of Death Eaters who follow this psycho Voldemort are growing."

"Yeah, I remember my dad saying that they are trying to recruit more people, especially younger ones like us." James said with a frown.

"Oh, doesn't that make me feel better." Sable said sarcastically. "For all we know, they have some of these homicidal psychos walking around Hogwarts."

"Yeah, makes me feel loads better considering they are targeting Muggleborn witches and wizards." Lily said, glaring at the paper. "Makes me feel real safe!"

"I agree, Lily." Sable said. "It doesn't make me feel any better either."

"Why are you worried, Sable?" Peter asked. "Both your parents can do magic."

"But her father was a Muggleborn wizard, Pete." Remus said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, they're not like us." Sirius said. "Us guys don't have as much to worry about because our families are all purebloods."

"But Lily is the only witch in her family, and Sable's parentage is mixed, making them both possible targets." James said with a sigh.

"Please don't remind us, James." Lily said. "It's not something I want to think about right now."

"Ditto for me, too." Sable said. "Besides, don't you guys have a more pressing issue to worry about at the moment?"

"We do?" Peter asked. "What is it?" Sirius rolled his eyes and James shook his head. Peter could be so dense sometimes.

"She's talking about tonight." Lily said quietly.

"Are you coming with us tonight?" Sirius asked, looking over at Sable.

"Yes, but I'm meeting you in Hogsmeade." she said. "I've got to take care of something before I disappear for the night?"

"What is it?" Remus asked suddenly.

"Well, ol'greasy still thinks I'm going to sprout a tail and wolf ears tonight." Sable said quietly. "I'm just going to prove him wrong."

"What are you planning?" Lily asked.

"Nothing actually." she said. "I'm just going to make sure ugly sees me at least once after dark falls tonight. Then I'm going to meet you guys in Hogsmeade."

Do you want one of us to stay with you?" James asked.

"I'll be fine." she answered. "I'll probably be there before it starts anyway."

"You sure you know what you're doing?" Remus asked. "Snape's liable to try something if he sees you alone, especially knowing where we will be."

"Everything will be fine." she said again. "I'm going to show up for dinner, then slip out the castle. Not a big deal. Besides, Snape is smart enough to leave me alone after that last full moon."

"Yeah, he was still bleeding from the nose the day afterwards." Peter said with a grin. "I heard him tell some of the other Slytherins that you had a mean right hook." Sable gave them a smug smile and finished her breakfast.

-Later that evening, right before dark….-

Lily and Sable walked into the Great Hall that evening for dinner, acting as though they didn't have a care in the world, when in fact they were worried sick about the boys. Remus had left only half an hour ago, James, Sirius, and Peter right on his tail. Sable had given him the needed dose of the Wolfsbane Potion and nervously sent him off to the Whomping Willow, hoping everything would be alright.

The two Gryffindor girls seated themselves at their customary places at the Gryffindor table and scanned the other House tables. Sable spotted Snape and Flint at the Slytherin tables and growled. Snape, obviously feeling himself being watched, looked up to meet Sable's icy gaze. Although no expression crossed his face, Sable could see a flicker of surprise in his eyes at seeing her at the table. Sable saw him smirk and pointedly look out through one of the windows to the East where the full moon was starting to show itself. He looked back at her with an expression of total disgust, but Sable only held her head up and glared at the boy, silently daring him to jump to conclusions about her. Snape only smirked and went back to his dinner. Before Sable could say anything to Lily about the grease ball's odd behavior, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around, she saw little Thomas McCleod and a few of his friends standing behind her. They seemed a little fidgety, but Sable said nothing as she quickly tried to mask her anger in front of the children.

"Thomas, how are you , sweetie?" she asked. "Would you like to sit down?"

"NO, that's okay." he said. "I just wanted to know if you would mind helping me with some homework after dinner. If you're not busy with anything else, that is."

"I'm sorry, Thomas." she said. "I can't help you tonight. I've got some work of my own to finish for Professor Treble before tomorrow, but I'll help you tomorrow if you have time." 

"That's fine." he said. "I don't want to intrude or anything."  
"Oh, you're not intruding." she said with a smile, ruffling his hair. "Tell you what, how about you meet me by the lake at about three tomorrow. Then we'll get your work done. How's that sound?"

"Is your boyfriend going to come?" he asked suddenly. Sable was surprised at the sudden change in his voice, but she only shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know if Remus will come or not." she said.

"Okay." he said. "Uh, you don't mind if I bring a few other people with me who need some help, too?"

"Course not." she said. "You know that."

""okay, Sable." he said, smiling at her. "Bye."

"Later, Thomas." she said, waving to his retreating form. She turned back around and looked at Lily, a frown on her face. "Alright, he saw me." she said, referring to Snape. "Now I've just got to get out of the castle without anyone seeing me."

"That shouldn't be too difficult." Lily said. "Snape and Flint just left the Hall, with Avery in tow." Sable chanced a glance over to the Slytherin tables and grinned. The three seats that had been full a moment ago were now empty.

"Good." she muttered, grabbing a couple of rolls and throwing them in her pocket. "I'm out of here, Lily."

"Be careful, Sable." Lily said. "With all the attacks that have been happening, we don't need another accident."

"I'll be fine." she said quietly. "James left me his invisibility cloak for tonight." She glanced down at her watch and frowned. "I got to go, Lils. Honeydukes closes in an hour, and if I want to get into town, I've go to go."

"Be careful, Sable." Lily said quietly, as the black headed girl walked briskly out of the Hall. Sable's plan consisted of slipping down the passageway that led into the cellar of Honeydukes, then walking to the Shrieking Shack from there.

She was about to pull James' cloak out of her pocket when she came across Flint, Snape, and Avery in the hallway, surrounding Thomas and his friends. 

Her anger peeked when she saw how pale the little kids were from being so frightened. Stuffing the cloak back into her pocket, she pulled out her wand and braced herself for a fight.

"Thomas!" she said gruffly, startling the Slytherins and causing the younger kids to heave an audible sigh of relief. "What's going on?"

"Ah, Ms. Robbins." Snape sneered, glaring at the girl. "It seems a few of your younger housemates decided to wander about the halls during dinner time. As you know, that is against school policy, and must be dealt with accordingly."

"If you'd open you eyes and quit looking for any reason to take points off of Gryffindor, you would have noticed that Thomas and his friends were at dinner." she said icily.

"And why should he believe that?" Flint asked. Sable looked over at the Quidditch player and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't see a Prefect badge on your robes, Flint. So stay out of this!"

"Well, you're not a Prefect either, Robbins. So this technically doesn't concern you either." Avery pointed out. "However, Severus is a Prefect, and is in his limits to take away points for breaking the rules."

"I'll concede to that, Avery." she said. "But then again, it's not members of your House that are being accosted and ganged up on in the hallway by older students of a rival House, now is it?" she looked down at the three Gryffindor students and jerked her head toward the stairs that led to Gryffindor Tower.

"Thomas, all of you go up to the Common Room." she said. "I'm assuming that's where you were headed, correct?"

"Yes." Thomas said. The other kids nodded in agreement.

"Go then. I'll be right behind you." she said. The three first-years pushed their way out of the ring of Slytherins and ran up the stairs. When Sable was sure they were out of hearing range, she turned on the three Slytherins.

"I didn't know you'd stoop so low as to gang up on a couple of first years." she snapped.

"They were breaking the rules." Snape said evenly. "They needed to be punished."

"Then maybe you should take points from your own House then!" Sable said. "Seeing as how you are out here also."

"You're out here, too." Avery pointed out.

"Yes, I am." she said evenly. "However wouldn't it look a little odd if you took off points for catching me in the hallway when I'm on an errand for YOUR Head of House?" She questioned, lying through her teeth.

"Proffessor Treble?" Flint asked.

"Yes. I was not in class on Friday, and I was on my way to get some work I needed to turn in from that day."

"Who gave you the assignments?" Flint asked quickly.

"Lily." she said, as if it were a common fact that everyone should know. Snape only glared at her even harder before backing down.

"Fine. No points will be deducted since you have a reasonable excuse, and I know for a fact that Evans took your work on Friday."

"I knew you'd see things my way, Snape." she said sarcastically. She turned around and began walking up the stairs towards the Tower.

"Where's your boyfriend at tonight, Robbins?" Flint called out, snickering. Sable turned back and looked down the banister to where the three boys were still standing.

"If I knew, Flint, do you honestly think I'd tell you?" she asked. Flint gave her an evil smile and shook his head. 

"Must be hard, being around a monster so often." Snape said. Sable gave him a cold, calculating glare.

"I wouldn't say that." she answered with a sickeningly sweet smile. "After all, I do go to school with slime balls like you three." And with that, Sable turned and left the three boys standing in the hallway. 

When she disappeared from view, Snape pocketed his wand and jerked his head towards the dungeons.

"Let's go." he said. "If we're late, Lucius will kill us."

"What about Robbins?" Flint asked. "You know she was lying to us about not knowing where Lupin is."

"She's not going anywhere tonight. She told the McCleod kid that she had work to finish. She may lie to us, but she has no reason to lie to him. She won't be out of the Tower all night."

"You seem awful sure about that." Avery commented, matching him stride for stride as they descended into the dungeons. "She could have been lying to the kid as well."

"Avery, I know almost everything there is to know about her. If she told the kid she was going to do work, then that's what she's going to do."

"Fine." Avery said. "But like you just said. You know _almost_ everything about her. What about the parts you don't know?"

"Then I'll find them out sooner or later." Snape said fiercely.

After Sable got to the top of the stairs leading to Gryffindor Tower, she went into the Common Room to make sure that Thomas and his friends were okay. She found them in the Common Room playing Wizard's Chess. After assuring them she was okay, she left again, telling them she was going to find the Head Girl to report Snape for abusing his Prefect abilities. That brought a smile to the kid's faces, and she slipped back out of the Tower, running to the third floor hallway were the one-eyed witch statue stood, guarding the entrance to the passageway. Pulling James' invisibility cloak out of her pocket and slipping it over her head, she crept down the tunnel and started running towards the other end that would put her in Hogsmeade.

Then minutes later, she was pulling herself up and out of the tunnel and into the cellar of Honeyduke's. By some strike of luck, she managed to get out of the store without anyone else seeing her. She stepped out onto the sidewalk of the little village and started walking towards the shrieking Shack. Her mind flitted briefly to her parents as she looked up to see the rising brilliance of the full moon. _'I hope you guys are alright, wherever you are.'_ she thought. Picking up her pace, she continued on her journey and soon found herself standing in front of the dilapidated old building known as the Shrieking Shack. She pulled herself up to one of the windows and peeked in. The boys were no where to be seen so she tried the next best thing. Putting here ear to the window, she tried to pick up any sounds coming from inside. Her sensitive wolf hearing picked up Remus tired voice and Sirius' booming laugh. She looked up at the sky once again, taking in the position of the moon and figuring Remus had another ten to fifteen minutes before he began the change.

She pulled off James' cloak and stuffed it in her pocket, along with her wand. She figured Remus had heard he by now, but she knocked on the window just to make sure.

"Sirius, you prat, let me in!" she called out. Sure enough, Sirius and James came bounding into the darkened room a minute later. James opened the window, since it was only accessible from the inside, and helped her in. when she got into the building and the window was shut, Sirius led her back to where Remus and Peter were sitting.

"Took you long enough to get here." Sirius said. "We thought you'd changed your mind." Sable sat next to Remus and grinned.

"No, I was coming. I just got a little side tracked."  
"What happened?" Remus asked, pulling her into his lap and holding her there.

"Snape, Flint, and Avery decided to gang up on Thomas and some of his friends." she said angrily. Remus growled and tightened his grip on her.

"Please tell me you hexed them into next month." Sirius said.

"I wish." she answered. "But three Slytherins against one Gryffindor is not odds that I find favorable for me."

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Remus asked quietly.

"No, Remus. " she said. "He didn't do anything. I told them off and left." He hugged and laid his head against her shoulder blade. She could feel the tenseness in his body and wished that there was some way to make it go away. He was tired, and his nerves were on end. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to contemplate any of it because Remus tensed up even more and started growling like crazy as the moon broke over the village and a pure beam of moonlight fell through the dirty window pane and onto him.

"He's changing." James said, quickly getting up and pulling Sable out of his spasming arms.

"Has he took the Potion?" she asked, watching him.

"He took it as soon as he heard you coming." Peter said. Sable nodded and watched as the three boys morphed into their Animagi forms. She turned her attention back to Remus, who was currently lying on the floor and sprouting fur everywhere on his body. He groaned in pain as his body forcefully reshaped itself into its lupine form. His clothes were ripping, but Sable didn't pay any mid to them. Acting on her own instincts, she knelt down and tried to talk him through the changes like she had done so many times with her mom and dad.

"Come on, Remus." she said urgently, wishing there was a way to get rid of the pain he was feeling. "You can do this. Just a few more seconds and it'll be over with." the wolf-boy looked over at her and frowned as another wave of pain took over.

"I….thought…..you wouldn't….come." he gasped out between grimaces. Sable hugged the rapidly changing young man and frowned. The other three boys watched on as the two managed a last few sentences between them before Remus lost the ability to verbally communicate with her.

"Remus, I'll be here with you come Hell or high water." she said. "don't ever doubt that." Remus nodded and doubled over in pain again, crying out as his bones broke and reshaped more.

"It….hurts….so much." he whispered. Sable held him tightly as the transformation hit the final stage.

"I know, love." she said. "I know it hurts, Remus. But don't fight it. We're here for you." The boy let out one more blood curdling scream before the transformation was complete. 

The three Animagi looked down at the still spasming form of their friend and heaved a sigh of relief. What surprised them most was the tears forming in the girl's eyes. Sirius slowly walked forward, sniffing the air and testing Moony's state of awareness. James followed his friend to stand in front of the two. The wolf in Remus quickly registered the presence of the girl in the room, but Remus pushed the predatorial thoughts to the back of his mind and stood up on wobbly legs. He looked around, taking not of Sirius, James, and Peter standing in front of him, and Sable kneeling beside him. He looked up at his friends and wagged his tail as a from of communication. Sirius broke into the doggy form of a grin and started barking like crazy. James only bowed his head, and Peter scampered around like crazy. Remus turned to Sable and his happy mood faded when he saw the tears in here eyes.

__

What's wrong, Sable?' he thought. _'I'm fine and the potion worked. Why are you crying?'_ he nuzzled the girl and let a whimper escape from his throat. Sable looked up and smiled at him. _'What's wrong?'_ he thought again. Sable grinned and scratched his head, right behind his ears.

"What?" she asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Remus cocked his head to one side and licked her face, right where a tear had left a path down her cheek." Sable, surprised at the contact, put her hand to her face and gave him a grin. 

He wanted to know why she was crying.

"I'm fine, love." she said. "I just don't like seeing you in so much pain that I can't do anything about. I feel useless." Sirius let a growl loose and James shook his head upon hearing her thoughts. Remus gave her an _I-Can't-Believe-You-Called-Yourself-Useless_ look that made her smile.

Sirius suddenly gave a quick yip and walked towards the trapdoor that led out to the Willow. The boys followed him, and Sable looked at them, momentarily confused. Then, she realized what they wanted to do.

"Uh, guys, I can't go gallivanting around the campus like this. Someone will see me." Remus looked at her and nuzzled her cloak pocket, pulling out James's invisibility cloak. Sable smacked her head and frowned. "Now why didn't I think of that." She pulled the cloak on and they let themselves down into the tunnel.

In no time at all, all five of them were standing at the vase of the Willow. James took off for the Forbidden Forrest as soon as everyone got out of the tunnel. Sirius was quick to follow. Remus started trotting off behind Sirius, but stopped when he realized Sable wasn't near him. He looked around, but couldn't see her anywhere. _'Of course you can't see her, idiot! She's wearing an invisibility cloak'_ he chided himself.

"Remus!" she called out, somewhere ahead of him. "I'm over here, by the alcove." He trotted over to where the voice came from and found Sable's head floating in mid-air. He nudged her and looked towards the Forrest.   
"Remus, I can't go in there. I'll never be able to keep up with you guys, and I don't want to spoil your fun. Let me go back to the castle and you can catch up with them before they get to far in." He shook his head and sat at her feet.

__

'She's coming in there, whether she wants to or not.' he thought. _'I planned this for ever, and she's not backing out because she's afraid of the Forrest.'_

"Really, Remus." Sable said. "I'm not going into the Forest. If I know you four, there's some kind of prank involved, isn't there?" 

The wolf remained at her feet, continuing to tug on her cloak. Sable finally got the hint and decided to try and quickly figure out what was going on.

"Did you guys have something planned for tonight?" she asked. Remus gave her a nod and wagged his tail. _'That's it.'_ he thought. _'Now you're catching on.'_

"And you didn't tell me about it, but you want me to go with you, right?'

Nod again.

"Then get one of the other ones back here to tell me what's going on." she said. "Because I'll be damned if I'm going to just waltz into the Forrest with out knowing why." Remus gave her the equivalent of a wolf glare and sat back on his haunches, letting a mournful howl fill up the air. Sable, once again not expecting it, pulled the cloak over her head so that her body was invisible.

"I take it that's how you guys find each other if you get lost?' she asked. Remus wagged his tail and sat at her feet, as obedient as a labrador retriever.

A few minutes later, Sirius came bounding over to them. Sable pulled the cloak off of her head and looked at the dog.

"Sirius, what is going on? Remus wants me in the Forrest, and I can't keep up with you when you're in your Animagi forms." she said. Sirius looked at her and in a blur of gray, the human man was standing in front of her.

"Moony's got a surprise for you." he said with a grin. "But it's a walk into the Forrest. We found it the last time we were there, but haven't had a chance to go back yet. Moony wants to show it to you."

"But what if I get separated from you guys?" she asked. 

"We're all going to be together until we get right before where we're going." he said. "Moony'll take you the rest of the way after that. The only thing you need to worry about is if you hear me or Moony howling."

"Howling?"

"It's our signal to clear out of the Forrest and meet at the Willow." he said. Sable looked down at her boyfriend turned werewolf and sighed.

"I hope you know what you're going." she said, pulling the cloak on and grabbing a hold of the fur on Remus' neck. "Lead the way, captain." Sirius grinned and transformed into his dog form before giving a yelp and walking towards the Forrest.

"Remus, you owe me big for this." she growled out. "You know I hate the Forbidden Forrest." The wolf only grinned and kept walking. 

Remus knew she hated going into the Forrest. It was one of the only things that he knew of that she absolutely hated to do. _'She never did tell me why she doesn't like going in there.'_ he thought. _'She's gonna have to tell me after tonight. Although after I show her the surprise, I'm pretty sure she won't mind going back.'_

Sable walked beside the gigantic wolf, mentally chiding herself for agreeing to go along with this. She had been terrified of the Forbidden Forrest ever since her third year at Hogwarts when Hagrid had taken them into the forest after dark on a detention and she had gotten separated from the boys. She had run into some jarvies after getting lost, and they had scared her enough to make her start sobbing. She couldn't find the pathway that led back to the castle, and she didn't have her wand with her since they weren't allowed to have them during detentions. One of the centaurs in the Forrest named Firenze had found her sitting on a log and crying her eyes out. The centaur had sensed that she was a werewolf and was hesitant to go near her, but he eventually gave in and led her back to where Hagrid and the others were searching for her. From that moment on, she had hated going anywhere near the Forrest.

__

'It's official, Sable. You're boyfriend has gone off the deep end, dragging you into the Forrest in the middle of the night, and on a full moon to boot!' she thought. As they came closer to the tree line, Sable clutched the fur on Remus' neck more tightly. _'And you're an even bigger idiot for going with him, Meadow Sabriel Robbins!'_ They stepped into the shadows of the trees and Sable felt her pulse rate double as the sounds of the night time Forrest surrounded them. _'Yep, it's official. Remus is going to catch Hell for doing this.'_ They walked along a path and soon found the other three Marauders waiting on them. Sable took a comforting breath and Remus nudged her forward. _'Yep. You're a complete idiot for doing this!'_ she thought as they began to walk further into the Forest.

The deeper the group of students walked into the forest, the more the air surrounding the rag-tag group crackled with the feel of pure, unadulterated magic that had woven itself throughout the forest. The luminescent rays of moonlight illuminated the erratic path they seemed to be following, causing shadows to weave in and out of the trees. The gentle rustling of the autumn leaves kept Sable on edge and ready to bolt out of the enchanted woods at the drop of a hat.

Clutching the fur around Remus' neck, she took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. Apparently, she had grabbed the poor werewolf a little to hard because he stopped walking and looked back to where he thought she would be. He glanced up at her and whimpered, signaling his discomfort. Sable immediately loosened her grip and frowned.

"Sorry, Remus." she said quietly. The wolf only shook his tail and continued to walk. After a good half hour of straight walking, Sable was starting to get antsy. They had been in the forest far to long in her opinion, and she was ready to get out. "Guys, at the risk of sounding like a whiny toddler, are we there yet?" The boys looked at her and gave the Animagi equivalent of human grins. Sable only nodded in understanding. After another five minutes of walking , the path they had been following completely disappeared, leaving them standing at the edge of a very unfriendly looking thicket of brambles. Sable knew they were close to their destination when Sirius, James, and Peter nudged her and quickly took off into the woods, leaving her with Remus. _'Oh, I don't like this one bit!!'_ she thought angrily. Remus, sensing her hesitation, gently pulled the cloak off of her and nudged her forward with his nose. She began to walk forward with her boyfriend right beside her. 

Her increased senses had told her that there was a large amount of running water nearby, and she wondered if Remus was taking her to a lake or something. _'It better be something important!'_ she thought. _'If he's dragged me out here for something stupid, I'm going to kill him.' _She put the thoughts out of her mind as they went through the nasty thicket. The brambles caught in her hair and on her clothes, ripping them in one spot. This, coupled with her fear of being in the forest, caused her to think a number of particularly nasty things about Remus and his ideas about surprises. But the second she stepped out of the dense foliage, she quickly forgot every mean and nasty thing she had been thinking about him only seconds before hand. 

She was standing beside a lake that was being fed by a rushing waterfall. Surprise was the only thing that showed on her face. _'A waterfall?' _she thought. _'I didn't even think they had a waterfall in the Forbidden Forest. Where did this come from?' _The water was rushing over the edge of the cliff, some five hundred feet above her head, but the water on the lake's surface was as smooth and placid as the surface of a mirror. She could feel the mist coming off of the impact point to her left, and she could smell the salty water all around her. _'Salty water?' _she thought, completely confused by now. _'The water has salt in it, but we're miles away from the ocean. How is this possible?' _She looked down at Remus, who had a smug grin on his wolfish face, and smiled warmly.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" she asked. He only nodded. She smiled even brighter and knelt down to hug him fiercely. "It's absolutely beautiful, Remus!" she gushed happily. "It's perfect." Sable could almost hear him chuckling at her enthusiasm. 

__

'Well, I'm glad she likes it.' He thought happily. He had been planning this trip for two weeks, as a way of saying thank you for all the work she had done to help him. _'It's not much, but I hope it shows her that I appreciate what she's done for me.'_

She stood up and ruffled his fur before walking over to the water's edge. She peered down into the crystal depths and smiled. All along the bottom were what looked to be lightly colored pieces of glass. The colors ranged from a light sea-green and baby blue to a rosy quartz pink and soft yellow. She grinned again and ran her hand through the water, effectively breaking the mirror-like surface. Below her, she could see the inhabitants of the lake swimming around contentedly. There were brightly colored fish that hid in the coral reefs, blending in almost perfectly, and little crabs with multi-colored shells. She even saw a few little water demons hiding underneath some beds of grass. 

Remus padded up to her and wagged his tail, happy that she was enjoying the surprise.

__

'And I'm not done yet.' he thought. _'She should get a kick out of this, anyway. _

He looked deeper into the water, down past the surface and to the depths that only his wolfish eyes could see. In the very middle of the lake, beyond normal sight, was a seaweed thicket. Inside the thick mass of tangled water plants there lived the water sprites that looked over the lake. They were childlike little creatures that had fins on the sides of their arms and the backs of their legs. Other than the strategically placed fins, the sprites looked just like normal, human toddlers. The differences in the sprites was quite apparent. They all had different color hair and, and some even had little patches of scales on their bodies. But the one trait that they all shared was watery, baby blue eyes that twinkled with mischief and delight. Remus and the other boys had come across this place and its inhabitants at the end of their sixth year, but had not had a chance to come back to it yet this school year. 

__

'Let's see how much you like this.' He thought. He gave a couple of short, soft barks, effectively startling the girl next to him.

"Remus!" she scolded quietly. "What are you doing? Do you want us to get caught out here?" He looked over at her and then back towards the center of the lake, shaking his head at her obvious nervousness. There was no one else out in the forest tonight other than him, Sable, and the other boys. Had their been, he's have already sensed them. Sable followed his gaze and was quickly mesmerized by the changes that were occurring. 

A thick green vine began to emerge from the darkened bottom of the lake. A sudden tinkle filled the air, almost like hundreds of little ringing bells. It continued to grow upward, seeming to reach for the light from the overhead moon. Down the vine were large leaves that looked like pea-pods. The vine stopped right before the surface of the water, and slowly began to open one of the leaves on the top row. 

Sable watched, even more mesmerized by the sight she was seeing. _'There is no way this is what I think it is.'_ she thought. Slowly, as though it was just waking up, a small blonde head appeared from one of the unfurled leaves. The head was quickly followed by a pair of arms and legs, both sprouting little fins and green scales, until a small toddler sized girl lay on the open leaf, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Her childish body was covered in what looked like woven sea vines. Sable looked down at Remus and shook her head in disbelief.

"Water sprites?" she gasped. "Remus, this is amazing! They are supposed to be very rare not! No one has seen one for over thirty years!" He grinned even wider and yipped again, bringing the attention of the water sprite up to their level. Sable expected the little toddler-like girl to be scared and swim away immediately. So it surprised her greatly when the little girl's eyes went wide and she smiled happily. The tinkling of bells suddenly exploded to a thunderous proportion, and the other leaves on the vine quickly began to unfurl, revealing over twenty more of the little sprites, each one with its own markings and features. It was like having twenty different toddlers looking up at you from underneath the lake's surface. 

When they were all sitting on tier respective leaves, and looking up at the two beings above them, Remus yipped again and the little toddlers began to swim towards the surface, eventually poking their heads out of the water. Sable grinned when the sprites took note of Remus and rushed over to the edge of the bank. Now that they were out of the water, Sable could tell that the ringing bell tones she had heard earlier were actually the sprite's childish voices. They seemed to be speaking rapidly in something that resembled mermish, but she was not sure. Three or four had climbed out of the water and were now climbing on top of Remus, and petting him with a childish enthusiasm. _'Looks like someone has done this before.'_ she thought with a grin when one of them grabbed his ear and yanked it. Finally, the obvious leader of the group, the first child that had appeared, caught notice of Sable and a big grin spread on her face. She looked back down at the sprites who were playing on the shore and said something. It must have been important, because they nodded and dove back down into the water. The little girl leader sprite left Remus' side and walked over to where Sable was standing. She waved her hand, gesturing for the older girl to sit. Sable complied and sat in front of the girl.

"You friend?" she asked her bell like voice sounding through the pandemonium the other sprites were making. She looked at Sable with big, innocent blue eyes, waiting for an answer. "Friend of Remy-wolf?" 

"Yes. I am a friend of Remus'" she said with a nod. The little girl nodded and stood up proudly.

"Have present for friend of Remy-wolf." she said. "Remy-wolf ask to make, we did. Now give it to girl who is like Remy-wolf." Sable quickly wondered what the little girl was talking about. She shook her head in confusion, and the child smiled and pointed to her eyes. _'My eyes!'_ she thought. _'I didn't put the cover up charm on my eyes this evening, so they are the same as Remus'. That's what she meant!'_ The child slowly turned and walked towards the bank where her two friends had returned, each one holding a little pouch. Remus, who was growling playfully at the sprites who were climbing on him, took no immediate notice of the exchange between the two females. The little girl leader took the pouches from her friends and walked back to where Sable was sitting. The other sprites, seeing their leader go to the human girl, came out of the water and followed her, sitting down in front of Sable until they formed a rough half-circle around her. Remus, finally noticing what was going on, came and sat next to her, his head lying on her lap.

__

'She should enjoy this.' he thought. _' I was going to give this to her for Christmas, but I changed my mind. I hope she likes it. I want to be able to repay her for all the help she's given me lately, especially with the Wolfsbane Potion.'_

The little girl sprite walked up to Sable and smiled.

"Have present." she said happily. Sable watched as the child pulled out of the pouch, a handful of the colored stones she had seen at the bottom of the lake. "For girl who have eyes like Remy-wolf." The child grasped one of the stones, pulling it away, and Sable realized that the stones were actually strung together. The sprites suddenly stood up, and started gibbering incoherently. One of them walked behind Sable and pulled her hair out of the pony tail she had put it in. Taking one end of the string, two sprites wrapped the string of stones around her neck three times, forming a loose necklace with three tiers. They then stepped away, happy with their work. Sable smiled at them.

"Thank you all." she said, smiling at them. "It is most beautiful."

"Each one mean something." one of the little boys said. The leader girl nodded and pointed to the stones.

"Blue for Remy-wolf." she said.

"Purple for Remy-wolf's friend." another one pointed out.

"Amber from trees for eyes." said another.

"White for moon beams." the leader finished. Sable pulled the longest strand away from her and looked at it. A small shell had appeared on the end of it. It was a small spiral shell that was a dark blue color and seemed to give off a strong magical pulse.

"What about the shell?" she asked, fingering the little shell that had materialized after the sprites had finished their work. "What does that mean?" The sprites smiled, and Sable suddenly realized the they, although in the bodies of children, were much wiser than she had thought. It was rumored that the child like sprites of enchanted lakes had been around since the dawn of time, gathering the knowledge of the world and passing it down the generations. She suddenly believed the rumor to be true. The wisdom that showed in the sprite's young eyes was overwhelming, and Sable did not doubt for a minute that the little children had been there long before she was ever born, and would be there for many years after she was dead.

"Tear-drop shell for trust and care. Very special. Not many left. Will always find its pair." the sprite babbled. They suddenly smiled and stepped back, but not before the leader handed the other pouch to Sable. "Other shell in pouch." the leader said. "Give to someone who is worthy. Only then will power be truly fulfilled." The little girl seemed to notice the position of the moon, and frowned slightly. "We go now." she said. "Time here is over."

Remus stood and walked to the edge of the water as the children began to go back to their underwater homes.

__

'Well, that went well, at least they didn't pull me into the water this time like they did to Pete. I thought the little boogers were going to drown him the last time we were here! I don't think they like him ver much.' he thought. 

Sable stood beside him, watching the little sprites with a smile on her face.

__

'They are absolutely precious!' she thought. _'I'm going to have to get Remus to tell me how they found them.'_

The children entered into the lake, waving to the two on the bank. Sable watched as they climbed into the leaves of the plant once again. When they were all there, the vine gave a shudder and began submerging into the water again, pulling the sprites out of sight. When the sprites were gone, Sable looked down at Remus and smiled, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Remus." she said. The wolf only grinned and pulled away, grabbing her cloak and pulling her closer to the waterfall. 

__

'I'm still not finished yet.' he thought cockily. He could tell she was having a good time, and that her initial fear of the forest was slowly dissipating. _'Maybe this will help a little more.' _

She followed him without question, knowing the wolfish trickster was not finished yet. Watching him carefully, Sable followed him behind the water fall, coming to a naturally formed cave that had formed over the years from the rushing water that was above it. There was only a little light filtering through the opening, but Sable could see well enough. What immediately caught her attention was a lump of brown at the back of the cave. 

__

'What is that?' she thought. She went to walk forward, but a pair of green eyes stopped her. She heard a low growl coming from the lump of brown and she figured that it was a mother wolf and her cubs. Remus, as a sign of recognition, let a small rumble come from his throat. The first set of eyes was quickly paired with another set, and Sable saw a large male wolf step out of the shadows. Remus repeated the low rumble, and the male calmed down, recognizing no threat in the other wolf. Sable made no more to go any closer to either of them. Werewolves she could handle. Normal wolves......well....that was another story. She had never had any run-ins with normal wolves, and she was not really willing to see if they would attack her if she went near the mother and cubs. 

__

'Especially when it is a lone pair.' she thought. _'I didn't even know there were normal wolves running around here. These two must have gotten separated from a larger pack and decided to set up camp around here.'_

Remus sat down at her feet and Sable took a seat on the cave floor. The other wolves did nothing, but Sable smiled when she noticed a fluffy ball of grey move closer towards her and Remus' spot. It was one of the wolf cubs. As it drew closer, Sable steeled herself, not knowing what kind of reaction the parents would give. She knew that wolves were protective of their cubs, and she did not want to cause any problems. 

Just like normal children, the wolf pup was curious. He waddled right up to Remus and gave a little bark, trying to get a rise out of the much bigger creature. Remus only looked at the little cub with a lazy expression, making no move. When that did not work , the little pup growled and jumped onto the werewolf, biting his ear and trying to tussle with him. Remus finally stood up, causing the pup to tumble down to the cave floor. Sable watched as the little pup righted itself and was joined by its brother and sister, all three of which obviously took to trying to beat up on the bigger werewolf and its human companion. 

The two parent wolves watched as their children tussled with the werewolf and human girl, not worried in the least about the safety of their cubs. The werewolf was a friend to them, and had helped them to find the cave many months before when they had gotten separated from their pack. The girl smelled like a she-wolf, and was careful around the pups, so there was no threat their either. Besides, the male werewolf would not have led a dangerous being to the cave and the pups, it would not have been logical.

After an hour of playing with the cubs, Remus and Sable had tired them out and they had returned to their mother's side, snuggling into her fur and slipping off into wolf-puppy dream land. Remus stood once again and pulled Sable towards the entrance of the cave. 

__

'Time to go, love.' he thought. It was time for them to clear out of the cave and try to find Sirius and the others. Night would slowly give way to dawn in a few hours, and Remus wanted to make the most of their time in the forest since it would be a month before they would have the chance to come back. He and Sable were supposed to meet up at the big pine tree where Firenze had caught them one time during a detention a few years back. Sable pulled the cloak on as they exited the cave, once again making herself invisible to eyes.

They were about a quarter of a mile west of the cave when Sable suddenly got nervous. Remus had tensed, sensing something that was out of place. He could smell Sirius, James, and Peter near them, but what caught his attention was the mumbling of voices his ears told him were right beyond the clearing. 

__

'Someone else is in the forest.' he thought with a frown. _'What idiot is going to wander into the forest in the middle of the night, and during a full moon at that?!'_

Sable clutched his fur, and he could tell she was worried. He wanted to find out who else was in the clearing, and make sure that James and the others hadn't run into any kind of trouble. Sirius had not given the warning call, so he figured that everything had been okay. But the fact that there were other people in the forest had him worried. He began to walk quietly towards the clearing, pulling Sable with him.

Sable's own curiosity had been peaked as well. She knew Hagrid was the only other person who would voluntarily go into the forest at any time, let alone at night. But it was not him that she was hearing; besides, he would not be in the forest tonight. Dumbledore had sent him on a trip to somewhere, meaning he would be gone for a few days. So, she wanted to know who else had braved the wilds of the enchanted forest. There were a number of different voices, each one distinguishable to her. None of them were James, or Sirius, or Peter, so she could not figure out who else it was. All the other students she knew of were terrified of the forest, even during the daytime.

The walked silently up to the small clearing and pushed the branches out of their way. The sight that greeted them was one that would forever be etched in their mind's eye.

"Oh, shit, we are in so much trouble!" she croaked quietly, eyeing the people in the clearing.

Around a large fire stood fourteen black cloaked figures, their faces hidden by white emotionless masks. 

Death Eaters.

**__**

Okay, how'd I do people? I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. I seemed to have gotten over my writers block. YAY! Okay, I'll let you good people go now.

Remember to leave me a review telling me what you think.

Later. 

A.A. 

P.S. I am now the proud 'godmother' of a green iguana named Firenze. My friend bought him and they won't allow her to keep him in the dorms on campus, so he gets to move in with me.


	30. Chapter 30

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was.

A/N - I actually do not have much to say at the moment, other than thank you for reviewing my stories. There are a couple of special THANK YOU's at the end of the chapter. Have a look and see if you're down there. 

Later,

A.A.

Sable blanched white when she realized who, or more appropriately what, was circled around the fire in the clearing. She felt Remus tense under her hand and heard the low growl of warning. _'Death Eaters!'_ she though frantically. _'This is NOT good! We need to get the Hell out of here! Now!'_

Remus was panicking in his own right at the sight of the gathered group of known killers. Like Sable, he was more concerned about keeping his hide in tact long enough to get the heck out of the forest, but his mind strayed to James, Sirius, and Peter. They were nearby, because he could smell them. Glancing around to the other side of the clearing, he could not see his friends. He shook his head and started to back up from the hiding spot, pulling Sable with him. She offered him no resistance and also began to back away.

-Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the clearing…-

James, Sirius, and Peter were crouched down in the underbrush, surveying the people standing in the small clearing. There were thirteen people in black cloaks and white masks standing around the blazing fire, and one in a deep green cloak. Beside the group lay two large burlap bags that kept moving and squirming. Muffled cries would be heard often, along with stifled sobs, and it did not take the boys long to figure out that it was two people in the bags.

Standing at the head of the group of Death Eaters was a man in a deep green cloak. It was obvious that he was the leader of the group, because when he raised his hands, silence was heard. Not another of the cloaked figures moved. He walked amongst them, and the others bowed respectively. No one moved after rising from the kneeling position. Sirius watched the man as he moved among his followers. He was a normal sized man, but what caught his attention the most was the red slits that originated from under the hood on the cloak. The leader wore no mask, but the hood of his green cloak was pulled down far enough to shadow his face in darkness. The red, serpentine slits glanced around the gathering, flashing dangerously every time the fire light flickered on them. 

The boys looked at each other and shook their heads, each one knowing it was time to get the heck out of the forest. They were about to turn around and leave when the leader of the group spoke out a name they were all very familiar with.

"We have come, Lord Voldemort." said a man closest to the end of the group. "What do you wish of us?" His voice was cold and calculating, and possessed the high society drawl that many people were familiar with. Voldemort nodded to the man and retook his position at the head of the group.

"My faithful followers, tonight is a night of joyous occasion. Tonight, we welcome another into our circle. He is a man who also believes in the sacredness of the purity of wizarding bloodlines." The hooded man looked down the line and his sight stopped on one man in particular. "Come forth, Avery."

On the side of the clearing, Sable turned around and saw the man walk forward from the crowd. _'Avery? As in Marcus Avery?!'_ she thought angrily. _'That bloody Slytherin bastard is becoming a Death Eater?'_ Remus seemed to think the same thing, because he turned from the retreat and looked back into the clearing. Sure enough, the two students saw a young man step forward and kneel in front of the man now recognized as Voldemort. 

"I am at your service, my lord." he said respectively.

"Why do you wish to join our cause, Avery?" came the cold voice of the most wanted wizard in Europe.

"I wish to purge our world of the filth that has been allowed to litter it. I want to bring honor back to the eldest and purest of the bloodlines." he replied.

"And by what means do you intend to accomplish this task?"

"I shall do whatever it takes." he said.

"Do you pledge yourself to me?" he asked coldly, looking down at the eighteen year old boy as if trying to find a flaw in his disposition.

"Yes, my lord." he replied.

"So be it, then." Voldemort said, turning and retrieving his wand. "Bare your forearm, Avery, so that you may receive the mark of the honor that is to be bestowed upon you." Avery stood and pushed the sleeve of the black cloak back, revealing his left forearm to the man in front of him, and never flinching once. Voldemort pointed his wand at the appendage and muttered an incantation. Before anyone else knew anything, a bright green light shot from the tip of the wand and towards Avery's arm.

James and the other two boys watched as their Slytherin classmate withstood the obvious pain he was feeling. He had removed his white mask when first being called out from the group, and now beads of sweat ran down his face. The pain he was going through was obvious for any and all who watched him, yet the young man held firm, never wavering in his stance and determination. Finally, after over a minute of the excruciating pain, the incantation was over, and the dark mark had been tattooed onto the boys arm. The black skull and snake smoked slightly, showing that it was a fresh reminder of the path its owner had just chosen to follow. 

By now, Sable was visibly shaking in her shoes. She turned back around and yanked on Remus' fur. The wolf turned to look back at her, wondering what was going on. 

"Remus! We've got to get out of here! Now!" she said quietly. Remus looked back towards the group and saw the proceedings begin again. _'She's right. If we get caught, we're both going to be killed.' _ he thought. _'It's time to get out of here.'_ He stepped back and began walking away from the clearing as silently as possible. His only thought was to get Sable away from the Death Eaters, then he could signal James and the others to clear out. When they were far enough away from the clearing, Sable pulled off the invisibility cloak and they broke into a full fledged run, not looking back and praying that they had not roused anyone else's attention in their hasty leave. 

-Meanwhile, back in the clearing…-

Avery let the sleeve go back down on his arm as he replaced the white mask he had discarded only moments beforehand. When the mask was firmly in place, hiding his features, he finally let his face show the pain that he was feeling. Of course, no one else knew this, because the mask hid his face. Voldemort actually smirked at the boy before turning to the Death Eater closest to him.

"Bring forth the Mudblood and the Muggle." he said evilly. The man did not hesitate to act on the order, and quickly retrieved the two squirming burlap bags that held the captured people. After depositing the bags in front of the group, he untied them and roughly pulled the people out of the bags. 

The boy's eyes went wide when they saw what it was inside the bags. Two young women were thrown to the ground in front of the newly initiated Death Eater and the leader of them all. One of the women looked no older than twenty-five. She had thick red hair that was cut short, and dark blue eyes that were red from crying. She did not wear robes, only Muggle clothing. Her face was streaked with bloody whelps and cuts. The blood was caked to her face and mixed in with the grit and grime from the inside of the bag. It was apparent that whoever had kidnapped the girl had not been gentle with her, since there were numerous bruises lining her forearms and hands. Her eyes were wide with fright and confusion. 

__

'She must be the Muggle girl.' James thought, looking at the girl carefully. Beside him, Sirius was standing still as a rod, and watching the proceedings with a look that would be interpreted as disgust, no matter what species he had been. Peter, ever the brave one, was hiding underneath a group of leaves, and letting out little squeaks of fright sporadically. All three of the boys knew they needed to leave before they were caught, but none of them seemed to think of the consequences of their actions. Their attention was drawn back to the gathering when a soft female voice came wafting through the air.

"Let us go, you monsters!" the other woman said fiercely. "We've done nothing to you!" The assembled Death Eaters actually laughed at the woman. She had long blonde hair that had been plaited and hung down her back. Like the other woman, her face was bloody, and caked with grit and grime. But unlike the other woman, she wore a set of blue robes that were torn in some places. 

__

'She must be the one they called the Mudblood.' Sirius thought. He watched as the woman tried to stand up to face her attackers, but her legs were weak, and she barely made it to her knees. Avery seemed to think this was funny, because Sirius picked up the sound of the Slytherin's chuckle from his position in the secluded spot.

"Actually, my dear, it is people like you who make us monsters." came Voldemort's cold voice. "Your type are the scum of our society. You should not be permitted to live because of your tainted blood. And you will not live, for much longer that is. Either of you for that matter." The dark headed woman seemed to glow with indignation. The woman beside her however, only cringed and started crying again. The witch looked down at the other captive woman and her face became hardened. Unlike the crying woman beside her, she knew what was going on; and it only served to make her angry. They had confiscated her wand when they kidnapped her, so she had no means of defending herself, or the other woman beside her. 

"Leave her out of this." she said fiercely. "She's not a witch. She doesn't even know of our world. Why punish her for something she is ignorant of?"

"To prove a point." Voldemort said simply. "Because of Muggles like her, half-blooded wenches like you exist." 

"What do you want with us?" she asked again. The woman knew she was going to die. She had no means of defending herself, and they were surrounded by a pack of cold-blooded killers. She said a silent prayer to God and waited for her last moments on Earth. 

"You two have the distinct honor of helping one of our newest Death Eaters practice his curses on." Voldemort said with a sigh. "In fact, I tire of this waiting." He turned to the new Death Eater still standing to his side, and motioned for him to step forward. "Avery, if you please, do clean up the trash." 

"Happily, master." the boy replied. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at the woman lying on the ground. "Avada…" 

Before he could get the rest of the curse out, a hand came out of the blue and slapped him hard across the face, knocking the mask off and to the ground. Avery was shocked at the woman's brashness. Some of the Death Eaters snickered, but quickly shut up as Voldemort's glare swept over them. Avery stared at her and made no move to touch his now burning red cheek. 

"Leave her alone, you monster!" she said. "She's done nothing to you." 

"It seems you have a feisty wench on your hands, my son." Voldemort said, as though he was amused.

"Aye, and she's going to pay for that." Avery ground out. "Just for that, she'll not only see the other one die, but she'll feel what it is like to cross a respectable wizard of pure blood."

"Respectable, my ass." she bit out. "I know dogs that are more respectable than you. You and the rest of this bunch are nothing more than a rag-tag band of heartless murderers!" Avery's patience seemed to snap at that, and he backhanded the girl, knocking her to the ground with a resounding thud. 

"You'll pay for that, wench." he ground out. Avery pointed his wand to the woman and muttered a spell. She was immediately suspended in mid-air and facing the girl on the ground. Once again, he turned back to the still cringing Muggle and lifted his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he yelled. A bright green light exited from his wand, and hit the woman directly in the chest, causing her to cry out in pain before her body went completely slack and sank back down to the ground; her once tear filled eyes now lifeless and devoid of any emotion, even the fear that had gripped her only moments before. Avery turned to the still suspended woman and smirked. She still had the look of defiance in her, but now it was tinged with fear. 

"So you see, Mudblood, there is no point in trying to stop us." he said. "We are going to wipe your kind out of the wizarding world and replace the purebloods as the dominant, and only, families of magic." The woman only shook her head in disgust.

"Do you really think killing me is going to change anything?" she asked. "There are just as many half-blooded witches and wizards in our world as there are purebloods. Are you willing to wipe out half of our population in order to achieve your goals?" 

"We will do what it takes to rid the world of the filth you half-breeds have brought." Voldemort said stoically. Avery nodded in agreement.

"You really are pathetic." she said sadly. "I pity you, all of you. You're punishing people for something they can't help; it's not our choice that people like me were born to a Muggle and a parent with magic in their blood. How much lower can you go?"

"Pleading for your life, now, are you?" Avery said, sounding amused. "Just like a Mudblood. No self respect at all."

"No, I'm not pleading." she said evenly. "There's no point. I know I'm going to die. There's no way out of it."

"Glad to know you've figured it out, Mudblood." Voldemort said.

"Yes." she said evenly. "It's just a pity that my captures are a bunch of yellow-bellied suckers to afraid of giving someone a chance to defend themselves to the death. You took my wand, and are going to attack me when I have no means of defending myself." She looked around at the group of men and shook her head. "You might as well be attacking a baby!" This seemed to be the last straw for Avery. He raised his wand up and pointed it at the girl.

"That's enough!" he said fiercely. "You weren't brought out here to lecture us like a mother hen!"

"Yeah, I was brought out here to die at the hands of merciless bastards. Funny, I'm still living; something must have gone wrong." she said sarcastically, eyeing the boy. Avery shook his head in annoyance and anger.

"Crucio!" he shouted. The light that escaped his wand nearly blinded the gathered group. The only thing that was heard was the young woman's cries of pain. Her strangled voice rose through the surrounding area and caused the hair on James' and Sirius' backs to stand up. Her body had been released from the suspension charm and was now curled up on the ground. Her knees were drawn up into her chest as wave after wave of pain racked her body. After a minute or so, Avery lifted the curse on her. "Do you still feel like lecturing us now, wench?" he asked her.

The woman glared up at him as the pain receded from her body. 

"Bastards." she muttered. 

"It does not seem like she's learned her lesson, my child." Voldemort said, sounding disappointed, but the hint of amusement in his voice was not missed by the gathered crowd, or the boys hiding in the bushes. "Perhaps you should try again."

"Of course, Master." he said. "They need to learn their place after all." He pointed his wand at the girl again and waved it. "Crucio!" Once again, the woman's body tensed up and she screamed in pain. Curling up in the fetal position on the forest floor, the woman withstood the waves of intense pain that she was being subjected to. 

Avery let the curse stay on longer this time, much to the delight of the fellow Death Eaters around him. When he did remove it, the girl once again tried to sit up. But the curse had weakened her, and she was only able to push herself up on her hands and knees and raise her eyes towards the perpetrator of the pain she was feeling.

"Any last words, Mudblood?" he sneered, looking down at the girl. "You're about to die."

"Go to Hell, the whole lot of you." she gasped out, clutching her stomach in pain. Avery actually smiled as he raised his wand once again and muttered a curse. For the second time that night, the bright green light enveloped a woman's body. And for the second time that night, it was only moments before her bruised and battered body lay on the forest floor, unmoving and completely unaware of its surroundings. 

Voldemort stepped up to the young man's side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Very good, Avery." he said, his voice cold and despondent of any feeling. "You have proven your faithfulness to me. Now, you are truly one of us." Avery nodded and looked down at the bodies of the two women, disgust plain on his face. 

Sirius, James and Peter watched as he stepped back into the group of cloaked figures, but not before kicking the lifeless witch's body out of his way. The boys were still in their Animagi forms, so there was no form of communication for them to go by. But when they looked at each other, it was apparent what was on their minds. Before they could move an inch, the howl of a lone wolf was heard over the night time forest. As the sound reverberated through the trees, the Death Eaters in the clearing looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. 

James looked down at Sirius and nodded. That was the signal for them to get the heck out of the forest. James figured Remus must have figured something was wrong, and cleared out with Sable. The boys nodded to one another, and began to back away from the secluded spot they had been hiding in. Another howl was heard, and Sirius gently grabbed Peter in his mouth and placed him on his back. The boys took one last look into the clearing and broke into a dead run away from the group of Death Eaters. They had seen enough death and destruction to last them for a good long time. But at the moment, their own concern was to get as far away from the forest as they could without getting caught in the process.

** Back in the Clearing…**

Voldemort moved to the front of the group and addressed them once more.

"Now that the initiation ceremony is over, you are free to go." he said to the assembled men. "Everyone may go, except for you four." He pointed to the four cloaked members closest to him, and the four nodded. "Marco, take the bodies of the Muggle and the Mudblood and make them a present for the Minister of Magic. I think he may like to see them." Another Death Eater pulled out his wand and with a swish, the bodies disappeared, as well as the man Marco. The remaining men nodded, and promptly disappeared from around the fire. Voldemort turned to the four remaining members and nodded. They removed their masks and bowed to their Master. "Report." he barked. 

"The plan is set into motion, Master." Lucius Malfoy said. "We will have Robbin's parents in a matter of days."

"Very well." he said coldly. "Severus. I assume that the potions are ready to be administered?"

"Yes, master." Snape replied. "I awake your instructions."

"And the girl," he said quickly. "Where is she?"

"Robbins is in her Common Room now." Flint said. 

"Are you sure of this?" Voldemort asked, eyeing the boy.

"Our source told us that she is there." Snape said evenly. "He has yet to steer us wrong about his information on the girl. He is quite close to her, and she does not suspect him in the least."

"You have faith in this 'source', I take it?" Voldemort asked skeptically.

"Yes, Master." Snape said.

"This had better work, Severus." Voldemort said icily. "My patience with this plan is wearing thin. And you know what happens when my patience wears thin."

"It will work, Master." Snape said, not a crack in his voice. "The Polyjuice Potion is will be ready to be administered in two days time, and Robbins will be in our hands by this time next month."

"Very well." he said. "This is your last chance, Severus."

"I will not fail you, Master." Snape said, bowing to the man again. Voldemort inclined his head and turned to Avery.

"Your first task, Avery, is to help Severus and Cody with this plan to bring Robbins to me." he said to the boy. "They will fill you in on what is going on, and what they have accomplished so far. You are to do whatever Severus tells you to do, seeing as how this is his idea." Avery nodded and said nothing, silently accepting his job. Voldemort looked at the four men in front of him and shook his head. "I want this girl in my hands by the next full moon. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" He asked them. 

"Yes, Lord Voldemort."

"It will be done, Master."

"She will be here, I assure you, my Lord."

"Yes, Master." were the responses he received. Voldemort, seemingly satisfied with his underlings, inclined his head and stepped back from the group.

"Lucius, I awake word of the girl's parent's capture. You are to bring them directly to me once they are here." he said, eyeing the blonde man.

"Yes, my Lord." Malfoy answered. 

"Then I leave you three to hand me Robbins." he said, eyeing the other three boys.

"It will be done, Master." Flint said, bowing his head. 

"Very well." he said icily, picking up the white mask at his feet. "You are dismissed." The four men nodded once again, bowed and disappeared into thin air. Voldemort looked around the forest and shook his head. 

"You will not thwart my plans for much longer, Dumbledore." he said quietly, staring at the shadowy forest. "I will have my way." He smirked and took his wand out of his robes, pointing it to a nearby tree. He muttered an incantation and a bright light hit the bark of the tree. With a satisfied smirk, he took one last look around the forest and disappeared, leaving a smoking Dark Mark engraved into the bark of the ancient tree; the only trace as to the group of people who had been there only moments before.

*** Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Whomping Willow ***

Sable was pacing around the alcoves of the courtyard, out of sight of anyone's roaming gaze.

__

'Not that anyone is going to be up at this time one night!' she thought. She looked at her watch and sighed. _'Or morning, for that matter.'_ Remus was sitting in the shadows, watching his girlfriend pace back and forth. A thousand thoughts kept running through his mind.

__

Why were Death Eaters in the forest? 

Should they tell Dumbledore what they had just witnessed? 

What are they going to do about Marcus Avery? 

And most importantly, where are James, Peter, and Sirius?

These were the first and foremost things in his mind. He had sent the signal up almost ten minutes ago, and still the boys were not back. They could not get back into the Shrieking Shack without getting under the Willow. And Peter was the only one small enough to reach the knot on the trunk that deactivated the swinging branches. He was about to go looking for his friends when he heard the unmistakable sound of hooves and paws running across the ground. Apparently, Sable heard it also, because she quit muttering and pacing and waited for the three boys to show up.

Two minutes later, James and Sirius came bounding into view, with Peter trying to hang on for dear life from the shaggy fur on Sirius' neck. Without a sound, Peter dropped to the ground and scampered up to the knot on the tree that immobilized the branches. After prodding it, sufficiently stopping the deadly branches from attacking, Sable and the Marauders entered into the well worn path that led to the dilapidated old building on the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

The second all five of them were back in the building and the trapdoor was bolted, Sable ripped the invisibility cloak off of herself. She took a few deep breaths and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had heard the screams of a woman while she and Remus were running out of the forest. She had no doubt in her mind that it was one of the people who had been tied and gagged in the burlap bags she had saw in the clearing. The woman's cries still rang in her ears, and she shook back the tears on anger that had threatened to escape. She turned to the boys and looked at each one of them.

"What the Hell just happened?" she asked them quietly, wishing she had something to drink because her throat was so parched from running. The boys only looked at her. She turned around and wrapped her arms around herself. 

Her mind was a whirl. She had no doubt that the two people in the bags had been killed. She also knew that the Death Eaters were searching out half-bloods like her, and eliminating them. She took another deep breath as the tears of anger and fear finally made their way out of her. Her mind never registered the three _'pops'_ that signified the boys changing back from their Animagi forms. In fact, the only thing she noticed was when Remus rubbed up against her leg. She looked down at the wolf and ruffled his fur. "I told you it was a bad idea to go into the forest, Remus." she said quietly. "See what you get for not listening to me?" The wolf only nodded his head, vowing silently to himself that he would never take her into that forest again.

James, Sirius, and Peter slid down the walls and sat on the floor of the shack. Sable quickly dried the tears on her face and turned back to them. They were all exhausted, and it showed plainly on their faces. Sable sat down and Remus lay down beside her, her hand absently petting and scratching his head and ears.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked, looking at the boys. They looked up at her and nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, if running into a group of Death Eaters in the middle of the forest is anything to be okay about." Sirius said sarcastically.

"You guys seen them too, then?" she asked. The boys nodded.

"Yeah, we hid in the underbrush until we heard Remus, then we split." James said. Sable said nothing; she just leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"We need to tell Dumbledore." she finally said, breaking the silence. 

"Are you nuts?" Sirius asked, eyeing the girl. "How would we explain that we found a Death Eater meeting in the middle of the forest?"

"How are we going to explain that Marcus Avery is now a Death Eater is my main concern." James said. "If he's already been branded, there is not telling how many more there are in Hogwarts!"

"Guys, this is not good." Peter said, shaking his head. "We can't tell Dumbledore without giving ourselves away. How would we tell him what happened without incriminating ourselves?" Remus seemed to agree with him, because he nodded and looked to Sable with a sad expression.

"I don't know." Sable said firmly, "But I've got news for all four of you. If I find out any of you have decided to wander back into the forest in the middle of the night, I'm going to hex you into the next millennium!" The boys actually nodded, agreeing that they did not want to come across something like that again. It was bad enough to read about the attacks in the papers, but to come up on one so close to the school…….well, that was a little much. Sable glanced down at her watch and shook her head. It was almost dawn, and Remus would be changing back soon. She hugged her boyfriend-turned-werewolf and took a deep breath.

"We can't do anything about it right now." she stated. "Dawn is only a few minutes away. We can worry about this after we get back to the castle and get some sleep." The boys seemed to agree, because no one said anything else about it. They grew silent, waiting for Remus' final transformation for the night to take place.

An hour later, Remus began to change back. As before, Sable was right beside him, coaxing him through the tiring process. Unfortunately, this time, the young man passed out before the transformation was complete. 

With the breaking of the dawn's light over the tree tops, Sable conjured up a stretcher and the boys placed their exhausted friend on it. After unbolting the trap door, the group of friends made their way back up to the castle without anyone knowing any better. 

They took a short-cut through the castle and wound up at the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room in no time. There was no one else up at this un-godly hour of the morning, so they met no resistance when going up to the boy's dorms. After using a couple of cleansing spells to get the grime off of their clothes, and getting Remus into his own bed, Sable collapsed onto the spare bed in the boy's dorm that James had once occupied before becoming Head Boy. She did have sense enough to pull the curtains around the bed incase Pomfrey decided to come check on Remus in a few hours, as she had been known to do before. The other three Marauders soon followed suite and were asleep in their own respective beds within minutes, Sirius and Peter in the dorm, and James in the Head Boy dormitory.

Before the first tendrils of sleep began to wrap around her conscience, and drag her into oblivion, Sable tried to shake her head clear of the sights she had saw that night. And one thought dominated her mind.

__

'I'll be damned if I ever step foot into that forest again! I don't care if Remus gets pissed as all Hell! He is not dragging me back in there again!' 

**__**

Okay people. How'd it go? You guys still hanging in there with me? I hope so. Anyway, please review. I simply love it when I check my mail and find that someone has reviewed one of my stories.

Later.


	31. Chapter 31

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Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was. The only thing I own is Sable, and any other characters that have not been used in the Harry Potter series.

A/N - Okay people, this is just a bridges chapter. Nothing too important. But I hope you still enjoy anyway. Later. A.A.

The Day After 

Needless to say, the rest of the weekend progressed without any further problems. After the exhausted group of Gryffindors had woken up later Saturday morning, they unanimously decided not to tell anyone else about the Death Eater meeting they had come across, although Sable was sorely tempted to tell Dumbledore about it. Figuring that the boys were not planning on going back into the forest after a scare like that, she let the subject drop, and promised not to tell Lily about it. 

As they had expected, Pomfrey had come into the boy's dorm to check Remus over, but only after shooing the other three occupants out of the room. She had been quite flustered when she found Sable curled up on James' old bed, but said nothing about it. Like the rest of the teachers, Pomfrey knew what Sable was, and what she had been doing to help Remus. For that, the nurse held the girl in high regard and did not berate her for being in the boy's dormitory. 

After Remus had checked out okay, Pomfrey had left, allowing them back into the room. Sable told them that she was supposed to meet Thomas and some of the other kids after lunch for a tutoring session. When it came time for her to meet the little kids later that day, Remus was up and feeling better, but still suffering from the -as Sirius had termed it- 'post-lunar separation-anxiety' from Sable. Sable, still worried about what could have happened had they got caught in the forest that night, gladly let him come with her to the lake. The kids did not seem to mind the Marauder in their midst. In fact, Remus wound up helping her with the kids. The only person that did not seem to approve of his presence was little Thomas, the very person who asked Sable for help in the first place. This puzzled her to no end, but the little boy said nothing else about it, only ignoring the older boy and focusing on Sable's teaching and review. 

Remus took note of the little boy's icy demeanor towards him and stirred clear of him, giving Sable a smug smile. Sable only rolled her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out at him. Remus knew that Thomas had a little crush on Sable; it was obvious to anyone that looked at the little boy anytime she was around. He also knew that the younger boy did not like him very much because of his close association with her. He only grinned and continued to help one of the girls he was sitting next to understand the concepts behind some of the Defense homework she had been given. Later on that day, after the tutoring was over with, Remus began teasing Sable about Thomas and his little crush on her. Sable had only smiled, and punched him in the shoulder as a way of retaliation from the teasing. Sirius had grinned at the little display and told Remus to be careful, he might have some competition for Sable's affections. 

"You had better worry about your own hide, Black." Lily had said. "I hear Arabella is not exactly thrilled with you at the moment." Sirius had promptly shut up, and the group of friends spent the rest of the day pestering the boy about the quick-tempered Ravenclaw Prefect. 

Sunday passed without any major, cataclysmic ordeals, and the entire group was thankful. So it was a surprise to everyone Monday morning when Professor McGonagall had stopped Sable in the middle of the hall and told her to report to Dumbledore's office. She had complied quickly, after shoving Remus into his next class and telling him that she'd tell him what was said during lunch.

Sable had entered into Dumbledore's office and sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk. Since the headmaster was not currently occupying his seat, she let her gaze wander around the room. It was filled with pictures of the old Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts, each one in some form of slumber or wakefulness. The shelves were crammed and cluttered with little objects of which she had never seen before. But what caught her attention the most was the phoenix sitting on the stand to the left of Dumbledore's desk. She rose from the chair and went to stand in front of the fire-bird.

"Hey there, fella." she said, holding her hand out to the bird. "What are you doing here?" The bird only cocked his head to one side and drew itself up, snapping at her hand. Sable quickly withdrew her arm and stepped back. "Feisty little guy, aren't you?" she asked the bird. 

"Please forgive Fawkes, Ms. Robbins." came Dumbledore's kind voice from the stairway above her head. Sable stepped back and waited for him to descend the last few steps. "He senses the difference in your body due to the full moon, and is wary of you."

"I'm sorry, sir." she said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "I did not mean to make him cross." Dumbledore grinned at her obvious concern.

"Not to worry, Ms. Robbins." he said. "However, there is an important matter that I need to discuss with you concerning your research." Sable gave him her full attention and watched as he pulled a large book out of his desk. The old man watched as she scanned the cover of the book and a look of comprehension passed through her features. 

"Headmaster, is that book….?" she began.

"Yes, Ms. Robbins." he said nodding. "This is a book on lend to me from the American Ministry, or as it has so been renamed, the American Department of Magic."

"They changed the name?" she asked. The American Ministry had always been the name of the governing body in America's wizarding world. Why they would change the name, she did not understand, but she did not feel the immediate need to question it.

"What has this got to do with my work?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded and smiled.

"I am curious as to how you are progressing with the Wolfsbane potion." he said. "I take it that you administered some to Mr. Lupin last night after he got into the Shrieking Shack?" Sable blanched at the accusation. She was not supposed to be down in the Shack with Remus, but she could not lie to the Headmaster, her Gryffindor pride would not allow it.

"Yes sir, I did." she said. "I gave it to him not long after dinner began."

"I see." he said. "Well, from now on, I'll tell Pomfrey to take you with her during the changes, seeing as how Mr. Lupin is less threatening now. In fact, she seemed rather happy when she told me that your potion seemed to make the physical strain on Mr. Lupin less strenuous. She ask me to ask you if you would mind stopping by the infirmary in the near future to discuss your work with her, as she is the person who brews most of the potions for the infirmary."

"Thank you, headmaster. I will make sure and do that." she said happily, glad that she was not in trouble for being out of the castle and in Hogsmeade.

"Of course, child." he said. "Now, as for the potion itself…."

Sable spent the next hour telling Dumbledore about her research and findings. He deemed the Potion acceptable and asked her to bring him a vial of it the next time she brewed some, as well as a copy of her notes and observations she had taken during the research process. He was going to send them to the Ministry of Magic and see if the Department of Experimental Potions would verify and test the Potion, hopefully passing it through inspection and making it a legal potion to be brewed and administered throughout the wizarding world.

Sable of course, was ecstatic. After promising to bring him the needed materials, Sable had broached the subject of the book he still held in front of him. Dumbledore had explained that the book was on lend to him from America. It housed much more up to date information on ranulas and other lycanthropic-type beings. He also told her that the steps to completing her transformation was within the text, and that she should be careful if she was to attempt it. Sable had agreed, saying that Remus would know the most about it and would therefore offer the most help on the subject. As usual, Dumbledore administered a warning to be careful in her endeavors and sent her on her way with the book, and a note to get her out of classes for the rest of the day. Needless to say, she immediately went to her room and began reading the text. When she had went to the Hall for lunch, Remus was worried sick. 

When she had not shown up for her other classes, he had gotten worried, really worried. Sirius and James had a hard time trying to keep the boy in his seat until the lunch bell rang. When he found Sable in the hall for lunch, she had explained quickly about the book, and Dumbledore sending her work to the Ministry to see if it would pass inspection. She purposely kept the part about finding information about her natural transformation to herself; she would tell Remus about it later. And she did. After dinner that evening, she pulled him down to her lab, giving Sirius and Peter the excuse of having to study for an Astronomy test. The other two Marauders only shrugged and continued on with their game of Wizard's Chess, where Sirius was getting whipped by Peter.

Once down in the relative safety of the laboratory, Sable told him about the transformation information and asked him to help her with it. According to the text she had read, there was nothing in particular she had to do to achieve the change. She only had to concentrate long enough on the desired form and let her mind go blank and be overtaken by the more basic of her thoughts. Remus, being the ever observant person he was, said that it would be best if they waited until the next time it was a full moon since the change depended so heavily on her body's natural reactions and changes during that time. Sable saw the logic in that and put the book onto her shelf to finish reading later. She knew she could figure out a way to make the transformations, but Remus had warned her that it would probably hurt like hell the first time she tried it. Sable did not really care about the pain, though. After watching Remus change only a few nights before, she knew it would be painful, but worth it in the end. As long as she could be there to help him during the changes, she would do it. 

***** Meanwhile, in the dungeons*****

Severus Snape stirred the bubbling, gooey concoction in the cauldron and smirked. It was done, and soon, he could put his plan into action. Flint walked into the dungeon room and walked over to the silent boy, along with Avery.

"How much longer, Severus?" he asked, eyeing the concoction with disgust. "Is it done yet?" Snape finished stirring the potion and turned to his housemates.

"It is complete." he said firmly. "We only need the last ingredient." Avery nodded and grinned.

"Let us take care of that." he said. "We'll have it to you by the time the week is over with." Snape nodded and Flint saw a spark in the newly inducted Death Eater's eyes. 

"Have either of you spoken to Sedera Walsh about our little arrangement?" Flint finally asked, looking at the other two boys. 

"Already done." Avery said with a grin. "And she's more than happy to oblige us. She said something about putting that goody-two shoes bitch Robbins in her place." 

"Very well." Snape said. 

"What about the truth serum, Severus?" Flint asked. "Once Lucius gets Robbins' parents, we're going to need the Vertiserum."

"Taken care of. As well as the Mind Numbing Potion." Snape said. "I already happen to have those particular brews ready to administer." 

"So we are only waiting for the final ingredient for that…stuff," Flint said, eyeing the disgusting potion in the cauldron, "and word from Lucius that they have her parents, correct?" 

"Correct." Snape said. "The moment we have word of their capture, we are to Apparate to the Dark Lord's side to administer the potions."

"And the Vertiserum will allow us to find out what her parent's know about her. We'll find out if the witch is really a werewolf or not." Flint said.

"She certainly exudes the temperance and disposition of one." Avery muttered. "She can be a mean little bitch when she wants to be."

"As we are so well aware of, Avery." Snape sneered, looking down into the potion and shaking his head as though he did not even want to think about his Gryffindor potion's rival, even though he would be lying if he said he did not. "As we are so very well aware of."

**__**

A/N - Okay peeps, how's that one go? Any better? I know it was not much, but I've got more on the way, I promise. : )

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you guys think. I really want to know.

Later.

A.A.

3/11/04


	32. Chapter 32

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Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was. I only own Sable and the characters in my fic that J.K Rowling has not brainstormed into existence yet.

A/N - Moving right along. Okay people, get your umbrellas ready, because the proverbial sh** is about to hit the fan in this fic. If you're curious as to why, read on, and you'll soon find out.

Later.

A.A.

****

In One Corner, Slytherin! In the Other, Gryffindor!

The rest of the week passed without anything too abnormal happening. Remus was slowly coming out of the 'post-lunar separation anxiety', and by the end of the week, seemed almost normal. The Marauders, as well as Lily, Bella, Sable, and Amanda were happy to have the old Moony back so quickly, even though Bella and Amanda were not sure as to why he was not feeling well in the first place. 

The coming up weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend, and the students were inpatient for it to arrive. All week, the school was stuck in the stuffy classrooms, and corridors, studying and practicing their magical skills. The N.E.W.T.S were coming up for the seventh years, effectively throwing Lily into a studying machine. Every day after classes and patrols, she would force the Marauders, and even Sable, to sit down and do an extra hour or two of studying for the upcoming tests. Finally, by Friday, James and Sirius had gotten so fed up with the extra studying that they hid all of Lily's books after the last class of the day. The red-headed Head Girl was not amused in the least, and threatened both boys with bodily harm if they did not return her books to her.

James told her that she could have them back on Sunday, and not a day before. Sirius was in agreement, as was Sable -even though she did not voice her opinion to the now fuming redhead- . Lily eventually calmed down and agreed to the terms, but once again crawled James and Sirius about not caring enough about their studies to study in order to get decent grades.

And so, Saturday morning, every student from third year and up were standing at the entrance to the school, bundled up in scarves, cloaks, and coats of all sorts. The weather had turned colder in the last few days, and it looked like it was going to rain at any minute. Sable was with Lily and Arabella when she descended the steps into the waiting hall. She knew Remus and the boys were around somewhere, but she was not sure. The three girls pushed their way up to the front of the group and opened the doors. The other students quickly filed out of the doors in a big rush, trying to get a head start to the little wizarding village. By the time they had filed out, Lily had spotted James and the other boys with Peter's date for the day, Amanda -the same girl he had asked to the Halloween Ball-. They quickly joined ranks and made their way to the town.

The day was mostly spent browsing the shops in Hogsmeade and relaxing. As had been predicted earlier, it had started to rain a few hours before sundown, and it seemed like the majority of Hogwarts had decided to congregate in _The Three Broomsticks_. By the time the Marauders and their girlfriends and/or dates got there, and out of the pouring rain, most of the tables had been filled up. But, as luck would have it, Bella spotted an empty booth in the back. Unfortunately, it was by a group of Slytherins that they did not particularly want to deal with. 

"Don't worry about it." Amanda had said. "We'll just ignore them. It's not like they are going to purposely speak to any of us." Everyone seemed to agree and they piled into the oversized booth. After a few rounds of warm butterbeer was in their stomachs, they felt better. The rain had almost stopped and was only coming down in a light mist now. They finished off their drinks and left the little establishment, heading for the castle and its warm, inviting, DRY interior. 

As soon as the bunch of Gryffindors left, Avery and Flint -who had been sitting in the booth behind them- stood and went out the back of the pub. Leaning against the wall of the building was Snape and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"You ready?" Flint asked the boys. The other six members of the team only smiled and nodded. 

"It's time we put those bloody prats in their places." one of them said.

"Yeah, I'm still itching to get my hands on Black for our last game when he knocked me off my broom." said yet another. Flint nodded and looked to Snape, who was watching them with the same bored expression.

"If you bunch are finished, I suggest we go." he said. "They will be back to the castle soon." The Slytherins nodded and pulled their hoods over their heads, effectively hiding their faces from anyone else, and began going down a quick short-cut that ran into the path leading back up to the castle from Hogsmeade.

Lily and James were leading the group of half soaked Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs back up to the castle when they heard scuffling in the bushes to the side of the path. 

"What was that?" Lily asked, staring at the bushes. 

"Not sure." James said. "Let me go see." Before he could take a step away, a loud scream could be heard from not far away. James and the others were instantly on their guard. "Lily, take the kids and go up to the castle, I'll go see who that was." 

"We'll go with you, Prongs." Remus said, nodding to Sirius and two members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team that had joined their little group, Michael Bell and Evan Zuba. "It's better if there is more than one person." Lily nodded, and began walking faster, herding the small group of people towards the pathway up to the castle. Sable passed by and looked at the boys, wondering why they were going off into the underbrush. She was at the end of the small group Lily was herding. Pulling her wand out, she quickly followed the boys into the underbrush. She heard another muffled scream coming from up ahead of her. _'What the hell is going on now?'_ she thought. It took about half a minute to catch up with the five other boys. She tapped Michael on the shoulder and he only pointed to the woods and shrugged. Remus noticed that she had followed, but said nothing about it. There was no point in arguing with her, she was too stubborn to listen to him.

Finally, they got to the origin of the muffled screams. Standing around a tree were nine figures in black cloaks, their hoods pulled up around their faces. Tied to a tree was a girl. The water had soaked her clothes and was running down the exposed skin. She was gagged, and there were bruises forming on her wrists. Sable shook her head and quickly pushed the images of the Death Eater's meeting to the back of her head. Without warning, James, Sirius, Remus, Michael, and Evan jumped out of the bushes and walked towards the group of people.

"What the Hell?" James asked, finally getting a closer look at the girl tied to the tree. "Sedera Walsh?" The nine figures around the girl turned and formed a tight knit group around the girl, effectively cutting off any route to get to her.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" Sirius demanded, looking at the group of black garbed men in front of him. "Who are you and what have you done to her?"

"What business is it of yours, Black?" one of them asked. "She is of no concern to you."

"But she is a concern to me." James said, looking at the figures in front of him. "I am Head Boy, and it is my responsibility to insure the welfare of all the students. Ms. Walsh is no exception."

"Let her go, you maniacs." Remus said, getting a peek at her through the bodies of the other people. "She's bleeding!" James pulled his wand out and pointed it at the boys. Evan, Michael, Remus, and Sirius followed suit. Sable, still crouched down in the bushes, slowly made her way out, her own wand poised at the ready. 

"What's going on here?" she asked the boys. "Why's Walsh tied to a tree, and bleeding?" 

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Gryffindor's whore." one of the black cloaked boys teased. "Figured we'd be seeing you."

"How about you quit talking like the moron you are, and let the girl down?" she said, pointing her wand at him. Remus stepped up beside her, as did Sirius and Evan.

"The lady asked you a question." Evan said evenly. "Now let her down."

"I don't think so."

"Well, I do. Expellaramus!" James yelled. Nine wands immediately flew from their owners hands and into his. But the nine black cloaked boys did not seem to take notice of this inconvenience. Instead, they lunged at the group of Gryffindors. Before they could get too far, Sable had already cursed two of them, and made a dash for Sedera, intent on getting the obviously battered girl down. 

The fight going on between the black figures and the Gryffindor boys was evenly matched. Even with their wands, the black cloaked figures were nimble enough to dodge the curses and hexes. One of them had put Remus in a headlock and yet another one had James and Sirius going head for head. Evan and Michael had forwent their wands and were in the middle of a fistfight with two other boys. Sitting the Slytherin girl down on the wet ground, Sable pulled out her own wand and started hexing the boys off of her housemates.

"You bloody prats!" one of them yelled. "We'll get you for this!" And with that, all nine of the figured Dis-Apparated without a trace. Remus quickly ran over to her and hugged her. 

"You alright?" he asked. 

"Fine." she said. She turned and looked down at the unconscious form of Sedera Walsh. "Although I can't say the same for her." James walked over and murmured a spell. Sedera was now floating on a stretcher, a blanket around her battered body.

"Let's get out of here." he said. "We need to get her to Pomfrey."

"Do you think we should go round up an straglers, James?" Remus asked, looking back towards the little village they had just exited. "Just incase those psychos decide to make another appearance?"

"Good idea, Moony." he said. "Come take her for me, will you?" Remus nodded and quickly cast his own spell to keep the stretcher in mid air. "Bell, you and Evan come with me. We need to get the rest of the students back to the school before anything else happens." 

"We'll catch back up with Lily and tell her what happened." Sirius said. James nodded and took off back towards the village. They began walking back up the path, hoping to catch up with Lily before the rain started coming down again. Sable took a quick look at the Slytherin girl on the stretcher. Her clothes were soaking wet, and her face was dirty and scratched. She quickly thought about the Death Eaters meeting again. Shaking her head, she walked quicker than before, hoping to get back into the halls of Hogwarts before anything else could happen.

******Back in the dungeons of Hogwarts…******

Snape, Flint, and Avery shrugged the wet cloaks off and made their way to the room that Snape used to brew his own potions. The rest of the Quidditch team had dispersed, leaving them to their own devices. In Avery's hand was a small capped vial.

Snape walked to one of the cauldrons and poured out a container of the potion. Avery quickly stepped up and handed him the vial. Extracting a few of the hairs, he put them in the potion and waited. After a few seconds. Snape handed the cup to Flint with a smirk.

"Drink up, Cody." he said. The Quidditch player frowned and took the container, downing the mixture in one gulp.

"Good Merlin!" he exclaimed, "That stuff is bloody horrid!" He tossed the container onto the counter and shook his head. "Is Polyjuice Potion supposed to taste like that?" he asked. Suddenly, his body began to squirm and change. He looked over at Snape, who had a smirk on his face.

Flint looked down at his hands, noticing that they were changing, along with the rest of his body. In just a few moments, where Cody Flint had been standing, was the exact replica of the very person they wanted. Flint looked at his reflection in one of the potion and nodded.

The plan had worked out perfectly. The ambush on the trail to Hogsmeade had given them the chance to pull some of the Gryffindork's hair out during the tussle. Avery had done a good job of getting enough of the hair. Sedera had been more than helpful, and he was sure she would be amply compensated for her little acting stint.

"Well, it seems as though things are looking to the bright side for a change." Avery said. 

"We are not finished, not yet." Snape said, bottling up the Polyjuice Potion and placing the vial of hair away in a safe place. "The next part of our plan will begin tomorrow. Are you ready, Avery?"

"Ready and willing." he said with a grin. "Robbins won't know what hit her."

******************The Next Day at Dinner**************

Sable had just finished some work in her lab and was coming out of the entrance to her room, and into the corridor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway. She waited until the suit of armor was back in place before beginning her walk towards the Great Hall. She had spent all day doing her homework, and she was about to starve. Remus had spent most of the day with her, but had left a few hours earlier to do something with Sirius and James and Peter. She was not sure what, but it probably had something to do with their next prank. 

Turning the corner that led out of the Defense hallway, Sable caught a glimpse of Sedera Walsh and some boy with brown hair turning into the next hallway down from her. As they turned the corner, Sable got a quick glimpse of the boy's profile. Even though it was dark in the hallways, Sable knew that face, and knew it well.

"Remus?" she questioned, shaking her head in confusion. Sedera and the guy slipped into the hallway, unknowingly leaving a very confused Sable behind. Sable looked down the hallway again and blinked in confusion. _'That looked like Remus!'_ she thought. _'That can't be Remus. He hates Sedera Walsh almost as much as I do.'_ She rubbed her eyes and pinched herself to make sure she was not dreaming. When a little red spot appeared on her arm, she knew she was not dreaming. _'Remus said he was going with James, Sirius, and Peter though. What would he be doing down here? And with her none the less?'_ She shook her head and tried to clear the confusing thoughts that were racing through her mind. _'I'm loosing my mind.'_ she thought finally, walking to the end of the hall and going to the Great Hall for dinner. _'I did not just see Sedera Walsh and Remus together. It was a figment of my imagination, a play on lights, or something.'_ She reasoned with herself until she got to the Great Hall and took her seat next to Lily. 

Everyone was there…except for Remus. Sable glanced at the seat next to her and frowned. Lily noticed the grimace and looked at her friend.

"Something wrong, Sable?" she asked. 

"No, I don't think so." she answered. Sirius looked over at her and smirked.

"You don't THINK anything is wrong?" he asked. "You feeling okay, Sable?" Sable looked at him and nodded, a small smile on her face.

"I'm fine." she said. "I think I've just had my head in the books too long today. I'm starting to see things." Sirius chuckled and shook his head.

"I told you all that studying was not good, Lils." the prankster laughed. "It's making Sable see things."

"I'll have you know, Sirius Black…." Lily began, but was cut off by Sable.

"Uh, guys, where's Remus?" she asked. James shrugged and frowned.

"Don't know, actually." he said. "I figured he was with you. After we finished a few hours ago, he said he had something to do."

"Yeah," Peter said. "We haven't seen him since he left the dorms. And that was over two hours ago."

"Oh." she said. "I'm sure he's alright." James only shrugged and continued to eat. Sable on the other hand, was having the worst internal battle she had ever faced. _'That was NOT Remus I saw down there.'_ she reasoned to herself. _'He's probably off somewhere doing something with someone else. He is NOT with Sedera Walsh!' _ She pushed her food around on her plate, her appetite suddenly forgotten. She was so absorbed in her own musings that she never took note when the object of her internal monologue sat down next to her.

"You okay, love?" Remus asked, startling her out of her reverie. Sable blinked rapidly and looked over at him in confusion. He looked utterly concerned.

"I'm fine, Remus." she said quickly, a little too quickly. Remus looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows. Something was wrong with her, but he could not tell what it was. 

"You sure?" he asked again, putting his arm around her. Sable nodded, not sure of herself.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Remus." she said again, giving him a small smile. "I think I've just been in the books too long. I'm starting to see the weirdest things." Remus grinned and put some food on his plate.

"Like what?" he asked.

"You don't wanna know." she answered truthfully. 

"That bad, huh?" he asked. Sable only nodded. 

"Where'd you disappear off to this evening, Moony?" Sirius asked, finally addressing the other member of their pack as he ate.

"I had some work to finish up of my own." he said, eating his food and never looking up from the plate. "I went to the library and finished that Potions essay Treble assigned us." Sable nodded, she still had to finish that essay herself. She continued to eat her food and talk to her housemates, her worries over her boyfriend slipping away.

By the time dinner was over with, Sable had convinced herself that she had not seen Remus with Sedera Walsh earlier that evening, and that she had in fact been hallucination from staying in her lab for too long and reading too much in one day. As she climbed into her bed that night, there was only one thing that bothered her.

She could have sworn that she helped Remus finish that Potions Essay only a few days before.

**__**

A/N - So, was Sable seeing things, or was that actually Remus she saw down in the corridor? Hmmm? What do you guys think? Well, leave me a review and let me know. 

Later.

A.A.

3/11/04


	33. Chapter 33

**__**

Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was.

A/N- Okay, hope you guys are liking this story so far. So, I'll quit babbling, and let you guys get on with the story.

Trouble in Paradise

Almost two weeks had passed since Sable had 'thought' she saw Remus down in the Defense against the Dark Arts corridor. After convincing herself that she had not seen Remus running around with Sedera, she had almost completely forgotten about the whole escapade. The one thing that would not allow her to forget the whole mess and move on was the fact that Remus had started to disappear without a trace, or a word to anyone else. The other boys, James, Sirius, and Peter, seemed to know where he was, but they refused to say anything. It was never for long, only a couple of hours in the period of a few days, but Sable was starting to get the distinct feeling that something was going on. She had caught a few fleeting glimpses of someone who looked like him slipping around the school, but she put her trust in him and believed him when he said he had been with the other Marauders or studying in the library. 

She tried to find out where he was going on a couple of occasions, but he would never say, just give her a smile and said not to worry-he'd be back later. He was being evasive, something that he had never done before. Any other time, he would tell her where he was going. Unfortunately, her suspicions were confirmed after a rather rough morning in Potions class two Fridays after the first 'hallucination' episode.

Sable had just come out of a very bad Potions class. She and Lily had been working on the class assignment when something went wrong, and the entire cauldron blew up. Lily had been sent to the hospital wing since the potion had been in the more acidic stages and burned her face and arms. She was the only one who had sustained any bad injuries. Sable had gotten some on her robes and her hands, but not enough to warrant going to the hospital wing. Treble had told her to stay back after class and clean the mess up, which she had been planning on doing anyway. Now, with the class over with and Lily in the hospital wing, Sable had escaped to the girl's lavatory at the junction between the corridor leading down into the dungeons, and hallway leading up to the House towers. 

She went to the sink and turned the cold water on. The little blisters on her hands were starting to turn into water blisters, and she knew they would hurt like Hell if they popped while she was in the middle of class. Deciding to skip her next class, which she was already late for, she went into one of the stalls to get some paper towels to wrap her hand in until she got to the hospital wing, since she could not remember the healing charm to save her life.

She found the roll of paper towels in the stall furthest from the entrance to lavatory. As soon as she walked in, she heard the voices of a group of girls come into the room. She was about to walk out of the stall, get her books, and go to the hospital wing when one of the girl's laughed. Sable recognized the laugh and immediately rolled her eyes in aggravation. It was Sedera Walsh.

Ever since James had gotten her away from those people in Hogsmeade two weeks ago, she had changed her uptight attitude about the Gryffindors. She was not as crude as before, and even managed to hold a conversation with Lily during class one day. Sable on the other hand, smelt a rat. She had never liked the girl before, and she was definantly not about to change her mind now. She listened closely to what they were saying, but soon wished that she had not.

"You know you're going to get caught running around with that Gryffindork, Sedera." one girl said. "Why are you doing it?"

"I have my reasons for it." Sedera answered. 

"Like what?" another one asked. "You have a perfectly good boyfriend right now, why jeopardize that?"

"Because I'm toying with something that belongs to that bitch Robbins." Sedera answered primly. "When she finds out that her precious Lupin has been running around on her for the last two weeks, she's going to be heartbroken." 

"And with you, none the less, 'Dera." the first girl said. "When do you think she's going to find out?"

"I could care less." Sedera answered. "If I know that dumb witted twit, she probably hasn't even noticed yet."

"She is going to be mad when she does find out, Sedera." the second girl said. "What do you plan on doing about that?"

"I'll worry about that when the time comes." the pompous girl answered. 

"When are you meeting him again?" the first one asked.

"Tomorrow, after lunch." she said. "We're meeting in the little clearing on the east side of the lake."

"That should work, seeing as how your boyfriend will be at Quidditch practice." the first girl said. Sedera hmphed and picked up her bag. 

"Well, let's get going. We're already late for Charms, and Flitwick will be doling out detentions for it I'm sure." Sedera said grumpily. The other girls murmured in agreement. After a great deal of shuffling and moving around, Sable heard the door of the lavatory close. 

She stepped out of the bathroom stall and stared at the door. What she had just heard had broken her heart. Remus was cheating on her, and with Sedera Walsh at that. She suddenly felt her eyes water up and her chest constrict tightly. Her vision blurred and she sank down against the cold stone walls of the bathroom, her mind in a whirlwind of thoughts. 

__

'What the hell happened?'

'Why did he do it?'

'Was it something I did?' 

These were her most prominent thoughts. Shaking her head and trying to dry her face off after twenty minutes of just sitting there in shock, she gathered up her books and left to go to her room. She could not let Lily see her like this. She knew that Remus and the others would be in Transfiguration by now, but she could care less. At the moment, it felt like her heart had been ripped out by a hippograff and trampled on by them. She blindly made her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway and slipped into her room, unaware of the set of eyes that had watched her broken hearted figure enter into the room from the corridor.

*** In Transfiguration... ***

James and Sirius were bored stiff in the lesson McGonagall was teaching. It was the annual lesson about Animagi, and they were about to fall asleep. Since three of the four mighty Marauders were illegal Animagi, they had already known all of this. James grabbed a piece of parchment, scribbled a message on it and passed it to Remus, who also seemed to be fighting sleep.

__

Moony, where are Lily and Sable. Why aren't they here?

Remus read over the note and frowned. That was something he wanted to know as well. It was not like them to miss a class, especially Lily. He took the parchment and scribbled his response back to James before passing it back to him while McGonagall's back was turned.

__

I don't know, Prongs. I'm worried though. Lily never misses class. Something must have happened. They had Potions before this class.

Sirius looked over James' shoulder and frowned. He quickly grabbed the paper and scribbled his message down before giving it back to Remus.

__

Maybe we should get out of here and go see. I don't know about you guys, but I'm bored stiff. McGonagall is putting me to sleep! Besides, we don't need anything happening to Sable before Remus can give her the Christmas surprise he has planned, now can we?

Remus rolled his eyes at his friends words. He had started planning Sable's Christmas surprise two weeks ago. He was making her a music box that was charmed to play certain songs that he knew she liked. Anytime he'd had a free minute for the past two weeks, he had spent it in his dorm working on perfecting the spells for it. He knew it would take a good bit of work for it to come out right, but he was willing to try. Besides, he wanted to see the look of surprise on her face when she saw it. He scribbled a short response and handed the note to James so he could read it.

_Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Padfoot. All kidding aside, do you think the girls are okay?_

James seemed genuinely concerned about Lily and Sable. Ever since the run in with the Death Eaters at the beginning of the month, he had tried to keep an eye on Lily. Right now, he agreed with Sirius, they needed to find the girls.

_Padfoot, cause a diversion so we can get out of here! _

James tossed the note back to Sirius, who grinned in response. It was pointless though, since the bell had just rang, signaling the end of the class and the beginning of their lunch period. Grabbing their books, James, Sirius, and Remus ran up to Gryffindor Tower to retrieve the Marauder's Map. Pulling the enchanted parchment out of his trunk, James muttered the words and they waited as the lines filled the page. About a minute later, they found a little dot in the hospital wing with _L. Evans_ next to it. James, being the overprotective boyfriend he was, took out for the hospital wing in a hurry, leaving Sirius and Remus to find Sable. 

After scanning the paper three times and coming up empty handed, Remus frowned and put the map away. She was in her room, and he knew it. Her lab and room did not show up on the map because they had never added it on. 

"Where you headed, Moony?" Sirius asked, watching him leave the dorm.

"Sable's in her room." he said simply. "I'm going to find out what's going on."

"Fine. I'll talk to you later." Sirius said, watching his friend leave. Remus slipped behind the portrait in the Gryffindor Common Room and went down the corridor, wondering why Sable was in her room and not in class. When he got to the entrance to her room, he said the needed password and nudged the portrait open. He climbed down out of the corridor and walked over to where Sable was sleeping on her bed. She still had her class robes on, but he noticed that her hands were red and swollen with blisters. 

__

'What in the world has happened?' he thought. Sable gave a whimper in her sleep and turned over to face where Remus was standing. 

The young man looked down at her and frowned. There were dried tear streaks down her face, and she looked like she was upset, even in her sleep. He pushed some of the hair out of her face and sighed. It would do no good to wake her up now, the day was almost over with. He pulled a piece of parchment out of her desk and scribbled a note on it before leaving it on her pillow and climbing back through the portrait. Something was wrong, and he did not like it one bit. Sable only cried when something bad happened. He shook his head and climbed back up to the Tower, intent on finding out later what was wrong with her.

It was the end of the day, and Sable still had not come out of her room. By now, Remus had found out about Lily and Sable's accident in Potions class. When he asked Lily if Sable had been feeling alright, Lily had answered that she seemed okay when Treble had sent her to the hospital wing to get checked. Remus had only nodded, still trying to figure out what was going on. After finishing his dinner, he excused himself and went directly to Sable's room. He found her bent over a cauldron and cursing under her breath.

"Having problems, love?" he asked as he walked in. Sable cut her eyes up at him and frowned. She was in no mood to deal with a two-timing backstabber right now.

"You could say that." she said firmly. Her hands were still swollen from the accident in potions, and the blisters were getting worse.

"Your hands?" he asked, looking at the blisters. 

"No, my feet, Remus." she said sarcastically. "Of course it's my hands!" The young man was surprised at the venom in his girlfriend's normally calm voice. He pulled out his wand and held out his hand.

"Well, if your feet look anything like your hands," he said calmly, "I think you need to take your shoes off and let me heal them." Sable huffed and shook her head, ignoring him. Growing impatient, Remus grabbed her wrist and muttered the healing charm before she could protest. Sable looked down at her hands and felt the tears start to form in them. 

There was no way that Remus, this very person standing in front of her, was cheating on her with Slytherin's twit. She closed her hands around the ladle she was using to stir the cauldron with and willed the tears back. Remus noticed the sudden mood swing and pulled her in for a hug. Whatever was wrong was something major. 

"What's wrong, Sable?" he asked. "I got worried when you didn't show up for class earlier today?"

"Lily and I had an accident in Potions." she said mechanically. "I had to clean it up. Some of the potion got on my hands and I didn't want to go to the hospital wing, so I just came back here." Remus nodded and turned the girl around. She would not meet his gaze and he wanted to know why.

"That's not what has you upset, is it?" he asked. Sable looked away from him and said nothing, which was a good enough answer for him. "Okay, Sable. What is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Remus." she said, pulling away and putting some space in between them.

"Why not?" he asked. "You know I'd listen to you."

"I know, Remus." she said sadly. "It's just…..complicated."

"Look, Sable, I don't want a repeat of what happened at the beginning of the year when we had our misunderstanding. I told you then that you'd be able to trust me. What's changed that?" he said, eyeing her for a reaction. Sable grimaced, remembering their last fight right before they had started dating, and it was not a pretty one. She took a deep breath and quickly decided to confront him about what she had heard. She did not want to sound paranoid, like she did not trust him, but she needed to know what was going on.

"Remus, what's going on with Sedera Walsh?" she asked, finally looking up at him. Remus looked at her like she was an idiot. 

"How am I supposed to know?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not her keeper, or her boyfriend for that matter. The last time I talked to her was the day after we got her out of the mess in Hogsmeade."

"So you haven't been around her lately?" Sable asked timidly. Remus shook his head, but some of the pieces were finally fitting into place.

"Sable, what are you talking about?" he asked. The black headed girl bit her lip in frustration, and told him what she had heard Sedera say in the bathroom earlier that day. By the time she was done, Remus did not know whether to laugh at the lies or be angry that Sable had been upset by them. He had not been anywhere's near Sedera Walsh, and the other boys could vouch for him. When Sable finally seemed to gather up her courage, she turned to him with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, Remus." she said quietly. "I should not have doubted you."

"Hey, don't worry about it." he said, hugging her. "Just don't hole yourself up in this cursed lab the next time something is bothering you, okay. Come find one of us." He grinned when she gave him a small smile. 

"So, what you planning on doing tomorrow?" she asked. "We still have the weekend to contend with."

"Don't know, actually." he said, scratching his head. "James and Sirius have a scrimmage against Slytherin, and they asked me to come watch. So I guess I'll go. You want to come? Keep me company?" he asked with a grin.

"No thanks, as much as I like to see Slytherin get whooped, I told Arabella and Amanda that I would spend some of the day with them." Remus smiled and nodded, knowing that she had gained an instant rapport with the two girls form Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. 

Remus finally drug her out of the lab and into the Gryffindor Common Room where the rest of their little group was waiting. Sable apologized for disappearing, giving them the excuse that she was not feeling well earlier. That seemed to satisfy their questions, and the group spent the evening relaxing around the Common Room, doing whatever they felt like.

When everyone decided to go to sleep many hours later, Remus had went with Sable back to her rooms. Before leaving her for the night, he had hugged her and told her never to doubt herself again. She had promised not to, and they had separated. Even though Sable had spent a large portion of the day asleep, she was exhausted. Climbing into her bed, it was no time at all before sleep overcame her and she forgot all about the day's tiring events.

**Next day**

It was the last Saturday of November, and many of the students were beginning to get antsy with the upcoming Christmas holiday so near. The entire school only had one week left until the much wanted Christmas break was to begin. Sable was glad they got out during the first week in December though, since Remus' transformation was only the day after. 

Like she had told Remus, she wound up spending most of the day with Arabella and Amanda while he and the others were on the Quidditch Pitch. Lily had decided to join them after a while, and currently, they were walking down to the lake outside the castle. 

"You guys ready for Christmas break to get here?" Bella asked, kicking a few stray leaves out of her way. "I know I am." 

"Tell me about it." Amanda said gruffly. "I'm sick of looking at these walls. It's time for a break."

"I take it you are going home for the break then, Amanda?" Lily asked, addressing the Hufflepuff girl. 

"Too right I am!" she said. "Don't get me wrong, I love Hogwarts, but Hufflepuff Tower gets old after a while."

"I know how you feel." Sable said. "But I'm staying at school during the break. My mom and dad are still in Bulgaria somewhere, so they won't be home in time. How about you, Lily? You going or staying?"

"If you think I'm going home to deal with that wretch of a sister I have, you are sorely mistaken." Lily said with a grimace. "She and that dolt fiancé of hers, Vernon Dursley, are in the midst of planning their wedding. And I do NOT want to be anywhere near her until the wedding is over with and she's moved out of the house!"

"She's not gone yet?" Bella asked. "I figured the old bat would have been married and gone by now. Merlin knows they've been engaged long enough!"

"How long have they been engaged, Lily? You never told me." Sable said, looking at her friend with curious eyes.

"They've known each other for two years, but they've been engaged for nearly eight months." Lily answered.

"Sounds to me like it's time to get rid of her." Amanda said with a grin. "I know when my brother finally married and moved out, I was jumping for joy." Lily nodded in agreement.

"Oh, trust me, when Petunia decides to get out, I'll have the entire Westminster Abbey choir singing praises to God and any other deity around!" the red-head said. 

"You could always just move in with James after graduation." Bella snickered. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure he wouldn't, but that's beside the point." Lily said quickly, a slight blush on her cheeks. 

"Speaking of that one, are the boys staying for the holidays?" Amanda asked.

"Peter is going home, but the others are staying." Sable said, sitting down on the ground beneath the willow tree on the bank's edge. Her hand automatically went to the choker she was wearing, the one she had gotten from the water sprites during the last full moon. It seemed like anytime someone talked about the boys when she wore the necklace, her hand automatically reached for it. The other girls followed suit and they were soon caught up in the pros and cons of each guy. 

** On the Pitch **

James, Sirius, and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were in the throws of a bloody scrimmage with the Slytherin team. It was almost lunch time, and neither team looked ready to call it quits. Remus was sitting in the stands, trying to watch the practice and work on the charms he needed for Sable's music box. So far, it was coming along nicely. He had already put the charms on it for two of the melodies he wanted, but the next one was being a little bugger. 

The music box itself was something to be admired. It was a pale ivory color, with the lunar phases carved onto the sides of it. When the lid was opened, there was a dark blue velvet like material along the bottom and sides. In the center, being held up by a charm he had found a few days ago, was a single yellow rose about the size of a lollipop. The little flower slowly rotated on it's tip as the music played from the inside. It really was a pretty box, but Remus needed to add a few little touches to get it like he wanted before giving it to her for Christmas. 

Above him, the two Quidditch teams were going head for head. Gryffindor was in the lead, but only by twenty points. Their only hope was to catch the Snitch, and soon. Slytherin was playing as rotten as ever, and the Gryffindors were starting to loose they patience with the cheating scumbags. The Gryffindors could only regroup and start again on the plays they had worked together after the Slytherins would bodily slam into one of the players and cause them to break form. Remus, looking up towards the emerald and scarlet blurs, shook his head.

"They are not going to be ending this anytime soon, are they?" he asked out loud. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the box in front of him, and tried to figure out exactly what he was doing wrong with the charms. About two minutes later, he was pulled out of his work by a loud cheer from the Gryffindor team. They had caught the Snitch, winning the scrimmage. "Then again, I could be wrong." Remus muttered, putting the music box back into the box he had been storing it in for safe keeping. He picked it up and met Sirius and the others at the sidelines of the Pitch. 

It was nearing lunchtime, and the boys decided that they would head back up to the castle after changing out of their dirty Quidditch robes. Remus nodded and walked over to the changing rooms to wait on his friends to return so they could go eat.

** Back by the lake **

Sable and the other girls were in the middle of a rather heated discussion about the validity of the Marauder's pranks against the other Houses. Lily seemed to be the only one with the gumption to say that they were wrong in pranking the other Houses. Arabella and Amanda, though they were from the other Houses, found it highly amusing when their Housemates were subjected to the torture that the Gryffindor boys supplied.

"You can't actually make me believe that you like what they do to your housemates!" Lily exclaimed. "Some of those pranks are utterly childish!"

"And it's your boyfriend that comes up with the majority of those childish ideas, Lily." Bella smirked. "Don't forget that."

"Just because he does the pranks does not mean that I condone his actions." Lily said, flustered that she could make no headway with the other three girls. "I don't agree with them."

"Somehow, Lils, I don't believe that." Sable said with a grin. "You help them with their pranks, remember." The red-head turned a light red color and looked away in embarrassment.

"Hey, that was only twice I helped them!" she said defensively. "They tricked me into giving them the Age Reducing charm the first time. I couldn't help it."

"And the second time?" Amanda asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Let's just say I had heard Avery call me a ' filthy Mudblood' one too many times." Lily said with a grin. "He paid for it well though, after I taught the boys one of the more complicated Mind Control charms and gave them my blessing to shove the snooty snake into the Vanishing Cabinet and leave him there; I haven't heard a word from him since." The other three girls busted out laughing and Lily only smiled smugly.

"Never cross the red-head." Sable said with a wink. "She has connections to bring down even the best of students in Hogwarts."

"You don't have much room to talk, Sable." Amanda pointed out. "You either, Bella. Both Remus and Sirius are pranksters, just as bad as James."

"Sirius knows better than to prank me anymore, so I'm not worried." Bella said with a smile. "I have enough dirt on him to black-mail him for years. I'm pretty sure James doesn't even know as much as I do."

"Yeah, Remus wouldn't let them prank me." Sable said. "I help them too much for them to get on my bad side. Ninety-five percent of the potions they use in the pranks, I brew. So it is in their best interest to keep me happy."

"And James knows I'll blow up on him if they decide to prank me, so I'm safe." Lily said. The girls started laughing again and were almost on the verge of crying at the thought of the boys daring to prank them. When they finally calmed down long enough to catch a breath, Sable noticed that Thomas McCleod was walking over to where she was sitting. The little boy looked very angry about something, and Sable wondered what it would be that would tick the sweet boy off so much. He was normally calm and cheerful, but Sable could see that something was definitely wrong with him. 

"Hello, Thomas." Sable said when he got to where the girls were standing. "How are you today?" The eleven year old boy only looked down at her and frowned.

"I'm fine, Lily." he said. "But I need to talk to you for a minute."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's about your boyfriend." he answered shortly.

"Remus?" Lily asked. "What's he got to do with anything?"

"Yeah, he's on the Pitch watching James and the team practice against the Slytherin team." Sable said, shaking her head. The boy only crossed his arms over his chest and frowned harder.

"You sure about that?" he asked sarcastically. "Cause that's not what I just saw coming from the castle." 

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" Bella asked, looking at the boy like he had grown an extra head. Sable stood up from her seat and jerked her head away from the other three girls.

"Excuse us, girls." she said. "I'll be back in a minute." She nodded to Thomas and walked about twenty feet away from where the other girls were sitting.

"Okay, Thomas, what's going on?" she asked. 

"Your boyfriend is snogging that Slytherin girl in the clearing across the lake." he said firmly. "Just thought I ought to tell you." Sable's face went white when he said that, and she heard Sedera Walsh's voice from the day before. She shook her head and frowned down at the Gryffindor first year.

"You must be mistaken, Thomas." she said, shaking her head. "Remus is on the Pitch, with his friends."

"No, he's not." the little boy insisted. "I know what I saw, Sable. And your boyfriend just went into the clearing with that girl from Slytherin."

"Thomas, I know you don't like Remus that much, but it's not good to go spreading rumors about him, especially like this." Sable said firmly. 

"I'm not lying!" the boy said. "Come with me and see. I'll show you I'm not lying!"

"I trust him, Thomas." she said. "I don't believe he is with Sedera Walsh, or any other girl for that matter."

"Are you scared?" he asked, eyeing her closely for a reaction. "Are you scared that I might be right, and your precious Marauder may be two timing you?" Sable sighed and ran a hand through her hair. The little boy was being difficult, and she knew there was no point in arguing with him about this. 

"Fine, Thomas." she caved. "I'll go see. But I'm warning you, if I don't see him in the clearing, I'm going to be very angry with you." 

"Fine. Let's go." he said, starting to walk towards the other side of the lake. 

"Just a second." she said, walking back to her friends. "Let me get my cloak." The little boy watched as she walked over to her friends.

"What's the kid on about, Sable?" Amanda asked.

"He thinks he saw Remus and Sedera Walsh snogging in the clearing on the other side of the lake." she answered with a frown. 

"You've got to be kidding, right?" Bella asked. "Remus wouldn't do that to you."

"Yeah….well…"Sable said, not looking at them directly. Lily noticed the hesitance and stood up to go with her. Even though she was sure Sable had not heard, there had been rumors going around the school for about two weeks that Remus was cheating on Sable with a girl from Slytherin. Up until now, Lily had disregarded the rumors as just what they were, rumors. But now, her own doubts were starting to cloud her mind.

"I'll go with you, Sable." she said with a fake smile. "I could use a good laugh right now, even if it is at the expense of one of the younger Gryffindors."

"Yeah, I want to see this." Amanda snickered. "This kid has lost his marbles."

"Too much sugar." Bella said with a sigh. "It does it every time. You sure Sirius hasn't been giving the younger kids anything to eat lately? He's liable to have spiked it with some hallucination potion."

"Don't know." Lily said. "Let's go and get this over with." Sable nodded, pulled her cloak on and led the way to where Thomas was standing.

"You all coming, too?" he asked, looking at the girls. They nodded and he shrugged. "Fine, more witnesses to verify that Lupin is a jerk." Sable shook her head and frowned at the first year, but he ignored it and led them around the lake to the east bank. Pointing to a clump of bushes that led into the clearing, he grimaced.

"Have a look and see if I was lying." he said. The girls shook their heads and walked up to the bushes, pushing them quietly aside and looking into the clearing.

Sable could see two people, a boy and a girl, kissing up against a tree. The girl was Sedera Walsh, as she had expected, but the boy's back was turned to her. When the couple finally broke for air, and the boy turned around, Sable felt a lump in her throat rise up. She never heard the other three girl's quiet exclamations of surprise, because her eyes were trained on the boy standing in the middle of the clearing.

It was Remus Lupin. Her boyfriend, and best friend, holding Sedera Walsh like she was the most precious thing in the world. Sable shook her head to try and clear her vision, but she knew she was seeing the proof before her very eyes. Sedera said something, and Remus grinned at her and kissed her again, which brought tears to Sable's eyes. She watched as he hugged the Slytherin girl again and stroked her hair before kissing her one final time and walking off towards the pathway up to the castle, waving at her. Sedera seemed like she was on cloud nine, and walked out of the small clearing with a huge, smug grin plastered on her face.

"Please tell me I'm not seeing this." Sable whispered to the girls on each side of her, the anguish and surprise apparent in her voice. "I'm hallucinating, right?"

"Umm, well, I don't think so." Bella muttered. Sable shook her head and backed up from her position at the clearing's edge, her eyes never leaving the place she had just been standing. 

"Lily?" she said, finally looking at the Head Girl. 

"Yes, Sable."

"I'm going back to the castle, and I'm going into my dorm. I don't want to see anyone. Will you please tell them that. I don't care what excuse you use, just don't let them in my dorm. I'm changing both passwords as well."

"What are you planning?" Lily asked, watching the other Gryffindor with worry.

"I… I don't know right now." she answered simply. "I just don't know." She was shocked to the core, too surprised to say anything, and to hurt to cry. Pulling her cloak around her, she looked over to where Thomas was still standing.

"I'm sorry, Thomas, for not believing you." she muttered, before turning and beginning to walk back up towards the castle, still in the daze she had been in.

"I'm sorry, Sable." the little boy said quietly. "I really am." The little boy hung his head and walked off, leaving the three girls to stare at Sable's retreating figure. 

"Uh, Lily?" Amanda asked, looking at the Head Girl. "Should we go after her? I mean, she just caught her boyfriend with another girl, don't you think she might want someone with her?"

"No, leave her be for now." Lily said. "I know how Sable is. She needs some time to digest this before anyone tries to help her."

"I hate to say it, but it looks like the rumors were true." Amanda said grimly. "I just didn't believe them, myself. But….seeing that…"

"Well, what should we do now? I hate to see her like this." Bella said. "I did not think Remus had it in him to do this to her?" Lily's temper was getting the best of her, and she suddenly had the urge to strangle any guy in sight, especially if he had brown hair and was named Remus Lupin.

"I don't know what you two are going to do," she said fiercely, pushing her sleeves up on her long sleeved shirt. "But I'm going to find Remus and James, and find out what the bloody hell is going on!" Arabella and Amanda nodded in agreement and followed the royally pissed red-head back up towards the castle. 

Someone was about to get it good, and they wanted to be around to pick up the pieces of what was left when she got done.

When Lily got to the Great Hall, it took her less than two seconds to locate her boyfriend, as well as Remus, Peter, and the rest of the Quidditch team about to sit down at Gryffindor table. She stalked over to the group of boys, Hell bent on slapping Remus Lupin as hard as she possibly could. All the students in the Hall cleared a pathway for the Head Girl, it looked like the Red Sea being pushed aside by Moses. Amanda caught up to the other red head and stopped her momentarily.

"We should do this away from everyone else." she muttered, noticing the curious expressions on the other students as they entered the castle. "There's no point in airing the dirty laundry in front of the whole school." Lily nodded to the Hufflepuff sixth year and jerked her head to Bella, who had also followed her.

Before the boys could figure out what was going on, Bella cut in their conversation and grabbed James and Remus by the arm, dragging them out of the Great Hall and away from the prying eyes of the Hogwarts students. She gave Sirius a glare that would have scared Dumbledore into an early grave when he began to protest, but he quickly shut up and followed behind his friends.

The second they were out of the Great Hall, all standing in a nearby hallway, Lily turned to Remus and slapped him soundly across the face. The hit was hard enough to leave a red mark on the young man's face, as well as hear a resounding slap echo down the hallway. The rest of the group stepped back as the redhead set her sights on the young man. Sirius, obviously the bravest of the assembled group, tried to appease Lily, even though he had know idea of what was going on. Remus meanwhile, was reeling with the effects of the hit. His temper began to boil, and he turned to face the angered girl.

"Lils, what's going on?" Sirius asked, taking a small step towards the Head Girl. "Whatever it is, we can..."

"Sirius," Bella said fiercely, eyeing her boyfriend. "I suggest you shut up." The Gryffindor Casanova looked down at his girlfriend and frowned. Bella never talked to him like that, and he was seriously beginning to wonder what had put the girls in such a pissed mood. Lily was livid, Bella was pissed, Amanda looked worried, and Sable was no where to be seen. _'This is not good.'_ he thought. 

"What the Hell are you thinking, Remus?!" Lily yelled. "Running around with another girl like that! How could you do that to poor Sable?! After all she's done for you, this is how you repay her?" Now, it was Remus' turn to look at the Head Girl like she was crazy. Shaking his head and rubbing his now red cheek, he looked over at the other girls and frowned. Taking in their obvious dispositions at the moment, he figured it was pointless to try and reason with them; they were out for blood. And apparently something he had done was the reason for it.

"Lily, what are you going on about?" Remus asked, looking at her curiously. "I haven't done anything with another girl. Where is Sable, anyways? I thought she was with you?"

"You would think she was with us, wouldn't you; you two-timing dog!" Bella said fiercely, glaring at the boy for all she was worth. Sirius made a grab for the fuming Ravenclaw's shoulder, but she only glared daggers at him and shrugged it off. Now Sirius was worried about the whole situation. Normally, even when Bella was angry, she could control herself. Now, she was livid with anger and ready to physically hurt someone. 

"What's this about Remus cheating on Sable?" James asked, trying to play mediator between the two groups. "He's been with us all day."

"That's a lie." Amanda finally said, huffing up like an injured hinkypunk. "He was down by the lake not even twenty minutes ago."

"You must have been mistaken, Amanda." Peter said, shaking his head. "Remus was with us on the Pitch all morning, watching the scrimmage between Slytherin and Gryffindor. He couldn't have been down by the lake."

"Then I guess it was his twin we saw locking lips with Sedera Walsh only fifteen minutes ago?" Lily said, her voice growing lower by the minute.

"Walsh? She's what all this is about?" Remus looked horrified at the notion, but Lily was not convinced. "I have not been anywhere near Walsh since we last went to Hogsmeade." he said firmly.

"Who saw all this?" James asked the girls. 

"One of the kids Sable tutors saw Remus and Walsh together, and came to get her." Amanda explained, thoroughly irked with the innocent ploy Remus was trying to present. "She thought the kid was playing a prank, but went along with him to humor him. We walked to the other side of the lake, and found lover-boy and Walsh attached at the lips."

"I've been with James the whole day." Remus said, defending himself. "I haven't been down by the lake at all today. Now where is Sable?" He knew that if Lily was this mad, Sable was even worse.

"You don't need to worry about her right now." Lily said defiantly. 

"Lily," James said, trying to sooth her temper. "Remus didn't lie when he said he had been with us all morning." Lily turned on her boyfriend and scowled.

"So now you're taking up for him?" she queried.

"Lily..." James began, but was cut off.

"Don't try to bluff your way out of this, Lupin." Bella sneered. "We all saw you down there. I just can't believe the rumors about you cheating on Sable were true. How could you do this to her?"

"And with Walsh, none the less." Amanda said shaking her head.

"Bella," Sirius growled. "He's telling the truth. Moony's been with us all day." 

"So now you are taking his side too?" Bella asked, looking at her boyfriend. "You cheaters stick together, huh?" Sirius' temper soared through the roof with that comment. It was well known that Sirius was prone to jump from one girl to the next, not keeping a steady girlfriend for longer than two weeks. So the entirety to the female Hogwarts population had been surprised when Arabella had managed to keep him walking the straight and narrow for longer than that. He had never cheated on Bella, and the insinuation that he had rubbed him the wrong way, bad.

"I'll have you know, Arabella Figg," he said, "that my fidelity with you has never wavered!"

"You two be quiet!" Lily hissed. "This isn't about you. It's about Remus and Sable."

"I haven't done anything." the boy in question said. "So lay off of me. And if this is between she and I, shouldn't she be here right now? Now where is Sable?" Remus looked at the girls and frowned even harder, knowing Sable was probably in a bad state now.

"You're going to be lucky if she is in any shape to speak to you!" Amanda barked. "She looked like she had died when she left the lake, she was so shocked. She wasn't crying, but it didn't look like it would take much to make her start." Remus glared at the girl and shook his head. _'She's like a dam.'_ he thought suddenly._ 'Sable keeps most of her feelings locked up tight, because of the lycanthropy; but when they start flowing, someone is going to be very happy or very dead. And at the moment, I'm thinking she's probably ready to kill me.' _Turning to Lily, he waited for an answer to his question. 

"She's in her dorm." Lily said simply. 

"Fine." he said. "I'll figure out what the Hell is going on here, and why you are accusing me of doing something like this!" Lily shook her head and smirked.

"You won't be able to get to her, Remus." Lily said firmly. 

"What? Why not?" he asked, turning to look at the Head Girl. He was in no mood to be playing games with her. Lily crossed her arms across her chest and leaned up against the cold stone wall of the hallway.

"She changed the password to her dorm." Lily answered flatly. "Both of them. And I don't know what they are." Remus shook his head and frowned. He quickly turned around and began to walk towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway, the closest entrance into her laboratory. When he was out of sight, James tried talking some sense into his girlfriend.

"Lily, he was with us all morning." he said again. "He couldn't have been down there with Walsh."

"Are you calling me a liar, James Potter?" the indigent girl asked. 

"No, I'm not, Lily." he said placatingly. "But I know that Remus wouldn't...couldn't do what you're accusing him of. He just wouldn't do it!"

"Well, you're wrong." Bella intervened. "I know what I saw. And I saw Lupin and Walsh together!"

"You've lost the brains you Ravenclaws are so well known for, Bella." Sirius said with a frown. Bella scowled and cut her eyes up at the taller boy.

"At least we have brains to begin with, Sirius Black!" she yelled at him. "That's more than I can say for YOU!"

"Guys," Peter pleaded desperately. "Let's talk this over. Fighting isn't going to accomplish anything."

"Speak for yourself, Peter." Bella said. "It'll make me feel better, knocking Lupin's lights out."

"Remus is innocent." James said, getting angry with the whole situation. The girls did not want to see reason, and it was getting him annoyed to no certain extent.

"He's guilty!" Amanda said fervently. "We saw him."

"You don't know what you saw!" Sirius said, looking over at the Hufflepuff girl. "We know Moony wouldn't do something like what you're accusing him of, especially not to Sable. He loves the girl for Merlin's sake. Why would he cheat on her?"

"So you're calling all three of us liars?" Bella asked him. Sirius nodded. The girls were angry, and that nod only proved to make them angrier. One of their friends had just witnessed something horrid, and these three boys were all but condoning the guilty party's treacherous actions. Lily looked over at James and frowned.

"James?" she questioned.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but you're not going to make me believe Remus was with Walsh today."

"Fine then." she said, turning on her heels. "I'll leave you bunch together." She began to walk away, but turned her head back over her shoulder and looked at the three boys standing there. "By the way, seeing as how Sable will be too pissed at Remus to talk to him, it would be prudent for you three to go get him before she hexes him into his afterlife."Bella and Amanda glared at the remaining Marauders and turned to leave. 

"Bella!" Sirius called out. "Wait a minute!"

"If you're going to take up for him, Sirius, I don't want to be anywhere near you." she said icily. "You, James and Peter making excuses for Remus is just as good as saying that you condone his actions towards her. And I won't be around someone who makes excuses for his friends to cheat on their girlfriends." Bella shook her head and retreated down the hallway with Lily. The boys turned to the remaining Hufflepuff girl, wondering whose side she was taking, although it was already painfully obvious. The red head Hufflepuff only shook her head and turned to leave, muttering curses under her breath about _'insufferable prats.'_

The boys looked at each other and shook their heads. Remus had been with them all morning, in the stands watching the scrimmage and tinkering with the music box he was going to give Sable in less than three weeks for Christmas. A very angry James looked over at his friends and frowned.

"I think we need to go get Moony." he said quietly. Sirius looked up, a scowl on his face.

"What for?" he asked. "He's probably fighting it out with Sable by now."

"No he's not." Peter added. "Lily said she changed the password to her room. Moony won't be able to get in."

"Exactly." James answered, staring down the hallway his girlfriend had stalked out of. "Besides, we've got something to take care of."

"The main priority being finding out what the Hell happened down by the lake today." Sirius said firmly. "Moony was with us all morning, and whoever was _supposedly _him is going to get the worse hexing of their life when I find them!" The three boys nodded, and took off to find their missing fourth member and try to figure out what was going on.

*** Meanwhile, in Gryffindor Tower... ***

Remus had left the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway and went up to the Gryffindor Common Room to try the passage behind the stair case. He got into the passage with no problem, and was soon sprinting down the dimly lit passage, trying to get to the end. When he finally did reach the end, he stopped to catch his breath. His mind was whirling in anger and hurt. Sable thought she had saw him with another girl, and obviously so had the other girls. Now, she was mad and upset, and he was pissed beyond belief. Finally catching his breath, he gave the password to her room, but unsurprisingly, the portrait did not move. _'So she did change the password.'_ he thought. _'Just my luck, isn't it?'_ He knocked on the portrait, trying to get her attention.

"Sable!" he called out loudly. "I know you're in there! Let me in!" 

No response.

"Sable! Let me in! I don't know what you saw, but it wasn't me!" he yelled. 

No response.

Getting completely annoyed, and even more angry, he beat on the portrait until he was sure there would be a hole in it.

"SABLE!!" he yelled once again. "Let me talk to you!! You're being stubborn!"

"I damn well have a right to be stubborn right now, Remus Lupin!" came an angry response from beyond the portrait. "So don't lecture me on what's right and wrong!" 

__

'Well, at least I know she's in there now.' he thought sardonically. 

"Sable, let me in there. We need to talk."

"NO!"

"Then come out here, at least!" he said loudly.

"Go away, Remus!" she said. Even through the semi-thick barrier of the portrait, Remus could hear the strain and muffled quality of her voice. She had been crying.

"Lily told me what you guys saw." he said, still speaking loud enough so she could hear him, leaning onto the portrait. "But it wasn't me. I swear, Sable. I was with the boys on the Pitch all morning."

"I don't believe you!" she said. "You're just lying to me."

"I'm not lying." Remus said, getting angrier with her. "I don't know what to tell you to make you see I didn't do anything."

"How about admitting that you were down at the lake, snogging Sedera Walsh?" she cried. 

"I wasn't there!" Remus said defensively. "You can ask anyone on the Slytherin or Gryffindor House teams. They all saw me on the Pitch."

"You also told me just yesterday that you wouldn't touch the Slytherin whore with a ten foot broomstick." Sable said, her own anger rising. "And today I find out you not only lied to me, but were running to her for Merlin knows how long now."

"It wasn't me!" Remus said again. "What have I got to do to prove it to you?"

"There's nothing you can do." she said fiercely. "I know what I saw."

"You saw wrong." he said, crossing his arms. 

"No, I didn't." she said finally. 

"Sable, you're being stubborn." he said simply. "Don't you have at least a little bit of trust in me when I say I'm innocent?"

"After what I've been seeing for the last two weeks, I'd have to say you are guilty as charged!" she said loudly. Remus shook his head in confusion.

"What? What are you talking about now?"

"Oh, so now you play innocent." she said sarcastically. The portrait door swung open to reveal a very mad Sable Robbins. Remus backed up as the light from her room flooded the little passageway and she stepped into the tunnel. 

"I'm not playing anything." he said stubbornly.

"Right." she answered, her hands on her hips. "And I've been telling myself for two weeks that your mystery disappearances for a few hours over the course of a few days have actually been related to schoolwork. Last time I checked, they didn't offer Anatomy and Physiology 101 at Hogwarts, and even if they did, I'm sure it would NOT be a hands on course! I had even convinced myself that the quick glimpses of you I saw going down into the dungeons, and slipping around the hallways of the castle with Sedera were induced from too many hours of keeping my head in my Potions books."

"It wasn't me." Remus said defensively. "I don't know what or who you saw, but it wasn't me."

"So now you're calling me a liar?" she asked. "I know what I saw, and no amount of persuasion is going to make me change my mind, Remus Lupin!"

"I'm not calling you a liar." he said. "I am just saying that you could be mistaken about what you saw."

"So Arabella and Lily and Amanda were mistaken too? Cause they saw the exact same thing I did." she pointed out. Remus ran a hand through his hair and looked at the girl standing in front of him. Even in the dim light of the passage, he could see her violet eyes, red from crying. Her normal proud posture was hunched down and completely submissive. It was like she was a completely different person than she was two weeks ago.

She was broken apart, and apparently it was his fault.

"I don't know." he answered. "But I didn't do anything wrong." Sable shook her head and gave him a sardonic half smile.

"You're worse than David." she said sadly. "At least I didn't catch him this early in our relationship. He had the decency to cheat on me and at least not get caught." Remus stared at her hard and shook his head in disbelief. She had told him what had happened with David, her last boyfriend at Salem. He had built her up to be the happiest girl in the school, then she had caught him shagging another girl in his own House a few months after they started dating. The jerk even had the audacity to look at her and smile the day they had broken their relationship off, telling her that it was a bet going between the boys of his House to see if David could break the heart of the cold hearted girl in the rival House. Sable had been torn up for days, and it was all because of the creep David. And now she was comparing him, Remus, to David; and Remus did not like it at all.

"So now I'm worse than your old boyfriend?" he asked, his temper finally reaching his breaking point. "The very one who was sleeping around with the girls of his House while keeping you on a rope? You have some nerve, girly."

"I have nerve?" she spat. "I have nerve? I'm not the one cheating on my girlfriend!"

"Well, that's an interesting turn of events." Remus sneered. "I didn't know you swung that way."

"What are you talking about?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you just said you weren't the one cheating on your _girlfriend_. Explain that one." he said. He knew he was pulling a low insult to her, saying something like that, but at the moment he just wanted her to hurt as badly as he was. 

"You know what I meant." she ground out, trying not to lash out anymore at the obvious twist of her words.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." he said. "Are you playing with someone else's feelings, too. Some poor girl in another House?" Sable's expression turned from one of shock to one of anger in about two seconds flat. Stalking closer to the boy who had been her boyfriend only half an hour ago, she slapped him hard across the face. Remus took the blow and did not move. _'I deserved that one.'_ he thought warily, watching the ebony haired, fuming girl in front of him. 

"I never cheated on you with anyone." she stated harshly. 

"But you're beginning to wish you had, aren't you?" he asked, matching her harsh tone with one of his own. Sable was spared from any further comments by the sound of people thundering down the passageway and towards the entrance into her room. 

"We have company." he said simply, waiting for her to say something. Before she could formulate a reply, two specks of light could be seen rapidly approaching where the two teens were standing. Two seconds later, James and Sirius were standing beside the fourth and final member of the Marauders, looking as murderous as Sable felt.

"You alright, Moony?" Sirius asked, eyeing the girl in front of him warily.

"Fine." the boy answered. 

"Sable?" James asked, a little more wary of the girl since she had said nothing so far.

"What, James?" she replied.

"We heard….about what you saw, and well, we just wanted to say, on Moony's behalf, that he was with us all morning." the Head Boy said. Sable looked at the faces of the three boys and shook her head.

"All of you are sticking with that story, I assume?" she asked. The boys nodded, knowing it was the truth they spoke. "I figured." She turned and walked back into her room. Before shutting the door, she looked up at Remus. Their was madness, hurt, disbelief, and a million more feelings going through him right now, and it all showed on his face. James and Sirius stood beside him like solid pillars of stone, not moving in their resolution and daring her to accuse him of anything in front of them. She was sorely tempted to believe their explanation, and disregard what she had saw only half an hour ago as a hallucination on her part. 

__

'But I know the other girls were NOT hallucinating. They saw the same thing I did.' she thought. The boys were adamant about Remus' innocence, but she could still see the expression of happiness on his face when he was with the Slytherin girl in the clearing not even half an hour ago. _'I should know that expression well enough,'_ she thought, _'he always had it when we were together.'_ Shaking her head once again, and willing the tears not to flow, she stepped down into her room. 

"Go back to Sedera, Remus." she said quietly, the hurt unintentionally evident in her voice. "Maybe you'll be happier with her, since I obviously can't keep you happy. Good bye. " 

"Sable.." Remus began, but was cut off when the portrait clicked shut again, and the three boys were bathed in darkness. 

"Prongs?" Remus questioned, cautiously.

"Yeah?"

"What the Hell just happened?" 

"I think...well, I don't rightly know, Moony." he answered. "But if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say she just broke up with you." Remus said nothing for a while, as he angrily contemplated what had just transpired between him and Sable.

"Padfoot?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, Moony."

"Are the other three still this mad?"

"Yeah, they are." he answered. "Lily is looking for blood, Bella is ready to have all our heads, and Amanda is actually being quiet for a change."

"This is not good, guys." Remus said. "Something happened, and now they think we are the scum of the Earth, especially me! And I didn't even do anything wrong."

"We've got work to do, guys." James said quietly, using his wand to light up the passage way. "We need to find out what happened today."

"And more importantly, who's responsible." Remus said. The boys left the passage and began the ascent back up to the Tower. 

"Someone has a good beating coming after this." Sirius said, clenching his teeth and cracking his knuckles as they went along. "And boy are they going to get it good when I get a hold of them!"

**__**

A/N - Oopsie, somebody got caught! Hehehe. Wonder what's going to happen now? Remember to leave me a review telling me what you think. I want to know, really. 

Later,

A.A.


	34. Chapter 34

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Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was.

A/N - Umm, I don't have anything to say. Just enjoy the story. 

Later,

A.A.

Down Time

It had been a week since Sable had last talked to Remus when he was standing outside the entrance into her room, or any of the boys for that matter. 

It had been a week since the 'discovery' down by the lake where Sable's heart had been ripped out and stomped on. 

And it had been a week since Sable had gotten a full night's sleep.

The stubborn girl was still stewing in her own anger and self-inflicted depression about the whole incident down by the lake. Once again, it was a beautiful Saturday morning, and a Hogsmeade day to boot. The entire week had been horrid, and Sable wanted nothing more than to loose herself in the little wizarding town outside the castle walls. Unfortunately, going to Hogsmeade would mean running the risk of seeing Remus and the rest of the Marauders. And that was something she did not want to do.

All week long, she had avoided the boys like they carried the bubonic plague, ducking down hallways and just making it into classes they had together before the bell rang. She was still angry with Remus for betraying her, and she was still angry with the other three for making excuses for him and trying to cover for him. It appeared that she and Remus were not the only couple to have been affected by the incident. Lily and Bella were giving James and Sirius the cold shoulder as well, the little she saw them. Even sweet Amanda was pushing Peter away from her. The girls who had witnessed Remus' indiscretion, had banded together to form a support net for Sable, and for that she was forever thankful. Having her boyfriend turn on her and go to the school slut was one thing, but losing the friendship of three of her closest girlfriends was not something she wanted to deal with. 

So, as the week had progressed, Lily had spent more time with her in her lab, working on homework and talking with her. Bella and Amanda would use their spare time to keep her occupied and away from the Marauders. Sable also perfected the shape-shifting that she had researched the month before. It seemed that since her body was already in a from of change, the actual transformation would not be much more difficult. 

After a few days of concentrating hard, and going to bed with migraines every night, Sable's desperation had finally won through, and her body had shifted to it's wolf form. The pain had been minimal, and Sable had figured that it was the same as James, Sirius, or Peter changing into their Animagi forms. The hardest part was keeping her body from reverting back to it's human form. It took all her concentration to just keep the form, but as the full moon came closer, it seemed as though her body began to voluntarily keep her lupine form on its own; with less concentration on her own part.

Of course, she had been overly pleased with the discovery, and had quickly informed Professor Dumbledore of her success. He, in turn, had congratulated her and asked for a demonstration. Sable had nodded and quickly shifted into her wolf form. The wizened headmaster seemed overtly pleased with her, and asked to be kept up to date with any new occurrences or things she might discover. He also warned her to keep the secret to herself, seeing as how werewolves were not exactly creatures that many other people believed could be trusted. Sable had only agreed, already knowing that the only person she would have told to begin with, was not speaking to her now. 

It seemed like the little golden group had broken away from each other, and the rest of the school was in a slight shock. The girls took it in stride, but the boys retaliated the only way they could.....pranking. 

The boy's latest prank had originally been centered directly on the Slytherin Quidditch team, but during the set up process, the boys had felt particularly mean, and branched out to include everyone else in the school, including their girlfriends. Friday morning after everyone was sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast, the boys activated the spells on their pranks, and all Hell broke loose.

After muttering the release spells, a bright flash of green light was seen. When everyone was able to see again, shrieks of horror were heard all around the room. The girls were dressed in coconut bras and green grass skirts, while the boys were wearing board shorts and bright, Hawaiian colored shirts. Both looks were completed with the brightly colored flower chains around the student's necks, and the tropical flowers in the girl's hair. Needless to say, the majority of the school was not happy, although there were a few people who found it quite amusing, especially when some of the girls started doing a hula dance in the middle of the Hall. The rest of the females ran out of the Great Hall and towards their dormitories to change clothes, while most of the boys had stayed to watch the show in the Hall. Hell, even the teachers seemed to think it was funny. 

The boys had pranked Bella, Amanda, Lily, and Sable in hopes of making them mad enough to speak to them again. However, the theory of that backfired when all four of the girls got up from their seats and joined a few of their Housemates hula dancing in the middle of the Hall. Everyone seemed to realize then that the Marauders and their girlfriends were on bad terms because those four girls had always been spared in any of the pranks before now. But what sealed the deal on the relationship question was when some of the more brave boys started catcalling and whistling at the dancing girls, who smiled and winked at them in return. Of course the Marauders had not planned on the girls corralling all of the attention of the prank and therefore turning it to their advantage, so they could do nothing but sit by and watch as the boys made passes at their girls. Everyone who was left in the Hall noticed the soured expressions on the pranksters, and found it funny that their obvious ploy had backfired.

Seeing the defeated looks on their faces had been satisfaction enough for the girls, and as they danced their way out of the Hall, Lily and Sable stopped long enough to grab their book bags from the table. Walking out of the Hall, they stopped at the head of the where the boys were sitting, and glaring at them. Sable smirked and shook her head, but Lily was the one that really made them mad.

"You're going to learn not to prank us boys." she said with a sickeningly sweet smile. "We'll always find a way to turn the tables on you. We've been around you long enough to know how your minds work."

"Yes, so you can thank yourselves for corrupting our thoughts." Sable said, looking right at Remus. "Good day, boys." With that, the two girls walked out of the Great Hall, grass skirts swaying and book bags on their shoulders. The boys had been in a bad mood for the rest of the day, and even during lunch, after they had changed back into their school uniforms, they sulked as they watched Lily, Arabella, and Amanda converse with their other friends in the Houses and Sable help some of the younger kids with last minute homework. 

The only people who seemed to be getting some sort of perverse pleasure at watching the Gryffindor boys squirm were Marcus Avery, Severus Snape, and Cody Flint, the three Slytherins that had been responsible for the whole mess in the first place, of course no one else knew that. They had managed to set up the entire scene and frame Lupin by using the Polyjuice Potion Snape had brewed. They had made sure that Sable's little buddy Thomas saw the Polyjuice Remus slip into the clearing with Sedera, knowing he would go and tell her eventually. So far, it was working rather well, and the next stage would soon begin, allowing them to tie up a few loose ends with some annoying classmates along the way.

Apparently though, by the end of the day, Peter and James had managed to talk to Amanda and Lily, and apologize for being such prats, but Sirius hadn't had such luck. When he had tried to talk to Bella, she had hexed him enough to land him in the hospital wing for a few hours. Sable, on the other hand, managed to disappear down a dark hallway anytime she saw Remus coming. She did not want to talk to him, even though she could not figure out why. She had nothing to be ashamed of. _'If anyone should be ashamed, it should be him.'_ she thought as she gathered up her books. _'I've done nothing wrong.'_ And with that final thought, she had settled down into the book Dumbledore had lent her about ranulas from the American Department of Magic.

That was one good side to being away from the boys, she had time to read the book and learn more about herself. The full moon was coming up in less than a week, and she could already feel the changes starting. They were weak right now, but given a few more days, they would intensify to the point that she would almost go crazy. It had not been so bad for the past few months, but she and Remus had been near each other during the time, and they would help each other through the urges and temperamental flares. Now that they were avoiding each other, or more appropriately, she was avoiding him, she was not sure how things would go. The change she was going to attempt would be easier the closer it got to the full moon, so that would keep her occupied.

She still toyed with the idea of whether she should give Remus his monthly dose of Wolfsbane Potion. She was mad at him, even after a week. But she also had seen what he went through during the transformations, and she did not want him to loose his sanity because she was being difficult. She decided to send him the dose of potion by using a school owl the day before the change, which would be the last day of school before Christmas holiday started. Another good thing about being away from Remus was the amount of time she had spent with her research for her potions. The few days she had separated herself from the boys had been used to subtly alter a few facets of the Wolfsbane Potion, allowing it to act as a mild anesthetic, as well as the psychological suppressor that kept Remus in control during the transformations. She had also sent her mother and father a dose of the potion, telling them it was a stronger version of the pain reduction potion she had always given them. 

All in all, everything was fine. Sable was getting her work done, and she had more free time on her hands than ever before. But one thing kept on bugging her. It seemed as though James and Lily had reconciled their differences in the disagreement, as had Amanda and Peter, although the girls still remained steadfast in their grudge against Remus. Bella was standing up to Sirius, but Sable knew it was only a matter of time before the Ravenclaw's will to fight ran out and Sirius was proclaimed victor of the altercation. What worried her the most was the coming full moon, and how Remus would react without her being there. The past few months had been less stressful on all parties concerned because of her close proximity to the werewolf, now she wondered if he could control himself without her there. _'Wonder if I can control myself while he's not here?'_ she thought dryly. 

She had yet to see him with Sedera Walsh again, although the rumors had kicked up again about why she and Remus were no longer together, but she ignored them. It had not helped when Professor Dumbledore had called both of them out of class on Friday and asked them about the coming full moon. The last time they had spoken, Sable had told the Headmaster that she would go with Remus during his changes, and allow him to help her learn to control her own transformation technique -which she had already done-. Sensing the tension between the two teenagers, Dumbledore had suggested that they work out whatever was bothering them before the effects of the full moon began to adversely affect their friendship. Neither of them had said anything, only answering the Headmaster's questions when he asked. When he had finally dismissed them, they walked out of the room and separated, neither of them saying anything to the other. Each one of them knew that it was pride that kept them from apologizing to each other. Sable maintained her accusations of seeing him in the clearing, and Remus maintained his stance that he was innocent, backed by the word of the other three Marauders, and the Gryffindor Quidditch team. It was at a standstill, and neither of them were ready to back down.

And so that Saturday melded into Sunday, and Sunday into Monday and so on until the last day of classes before Christmas break was upon them. The last day of school was December 7th, a Thursday. Friday night was the full moon, and Sable was dreading it beyond anything else. Like she had told Lily earlier, she was staying at Hogwarts for the duration of the break. She knew it would be a pain, having to be around the Marauders during the break, especially now that she was not on speaking terms with any of them, but she would manage. 

Classes were let out early on Thursday and the students that were going home had pulled their trunks into the entrance Hall and were saying goodbye to their friends. Sable went to see Amanda and some of the younger children off, not really paying attention to where she was going or what she was doing. While she was coming down the steps, she had the utmost misfortune to run into Snape and Avery.

"What have we here, Marcus?" Snape had sneered, looking at the girl and scowling. "It seems Ms. Robbins is without her body guard this evening. What a pity."

"Bite me, Snape, you bloody prat." she said, looking at the older boy and daring him to touch her. "Get out of my way, I've got nothing to say to either of you."

"I have a feeling if anyone is going to be doing any biting, it will be you, Robbins." Snape said, walking around the girl as though surveying a trophy. "The full moon is coming up tomorrow night, after all." Sable gave him a sly smile and shook her head.

"You still think I'm a werewolf, Snape?" she asked. "You've been trying to find out for months now, and you still don't know, do you?" 

"You're no werewolf, Robbins." Avery said lowly. 

"Well, I'm glad someone agrees with me." she said sarcastically. "Now get out of my way, the both of you!" 

"What if we don't want to?" Avery asked, looking for a way to anger the Gryffindor.

"Then I'll remove you from her way for her." came another boy's voice. All three of the students looked up and saw Remus standing at the top of the stairs, glaring at the two Slytherin boys. Snape and Avery took a small step back and nodded.

"Of course, I guess the body guard is always on duty, isn't he Robbins?" Snape sneered. 

"Trust me, she doesn't need a body guard." Remus said, walking down the steps and towards the girl. "If she wanted you out of her way, she'd be able to do it. But unlike some people, she has manners and refrains from using brute force unless necessary." He stopped beside her and looked down, finally meeting her gaze for the first time in two weeks before looking back at the two Slytherins. "I, on the other hand, couldn't care less about you three snakes. Now, I think the lady asked you to move and let her by." Snape and Avery lifted their noses and stepped aside, letting the two Gryffindors pass. When they were out of the hearing range of the two boys, Sable turned to Remus and shook her head.

"Thank you." she said quietly. 

"I got the potion this morning." he said stoically, completely ignoring her thanks. "You coming to the Willow tomorrow night?" he asked. Sable stood still for a minute and looked at him curiously. She had figured he'd want her as far away from him as possible, considering their attitudes toward each other the last two weeks.

"You want me to come?" she asked, shocked to hear it.

"I can't change your mind about what you think you saw." he said simply, beautifully avoiding her question. "But you are still welcome to come tomorrow if you want."

"I'll think about it." she said quietly, not looking at him in fear of embarrassment. "I'll let you know tomorrow after lunch." 

"Until then." Remus said, nodding and walking to where his friends were standing in the entrance hall. Sable watched as he turned his back and walked away from her. It felt like her heart had just been ripped out and thrown on the floor. The whole five minutes she had just spent near him had been peaceful to her, even though the conversation had been strained. Remus was still mad at her, although she did not blame him for it. His stoic handling of the situation had her worried as to whether or not she and Remus was ever going to get back to the way they had been.

When the final carriage pulled out of the school yard half an hour later, Sable decided to go take a walk around the grounds. She had not been outside in a while, seeing as how she had practically locked herself in her lab for the past few weeks. She was soon joined by Lily, and they went off together to the back section of the grounds where the greenhouses were.

"Are you going to the Willow with them tomorrow?" Lily asked as they passed by a planting of Venus Fly Trap that kept snapping at them.

"I don't know." Sable answered. "I think I might. It....when I was there last month....he seemed to make it through the change much easier." Sable stuttered and looked around the room, her eyes filling up with warm, wet tears. Lily looked at the girl and frowned. Being away from Remus had been rough on her, even if she did not want to admit it.

"I think you should." Lily said firmly. "It might help the both of you sort out this disagreement."

"Do you think I acted to harshly against them?" Sable asked, looking to the taller girl.

"If anyone was harsh, I was." Lily said with a grin. 

"What did you and James do?" Sable asked. "I know he won't believe Remus done that."

"We agreed to disagree." Lily said, shrugging her shoulders. "We agreed to not talk about it until you and Remus work things out for yourselves."

"You're kidding?"

"No, once James made me realize that it was the two of you that needed to work things out, and not have me sticking my two cents in, I gave in." she said, running a finger down the petal of one of the flowers. "We do agree that you guys should talk about what happened, though." Sable nodded and Lily gave a small grin. "I'm sure you noticed that Walsh and Cunningham left today, hand in hand, I might add?" Sable glared at her playfully and shook her head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." she said firmly. "I don't pay any attention to that Slytherin tramp and her hedonistic boyfriend!" Lily grinned and shook her head.

"Seriously now," she said with a smile. " you and Remus need to work this disagreement out before the full moon tomorrow night."

"I'll talk with him tomorrow before they all leave." Sable promised, pushing one of the hanging vines out of her way as they exited the greenhouse. "We'll get this straightened out before nightfall, I promise." Lily only smiled and nodded, knowing that things were on the track to getting back to normal.

***** The next day, about an hour before sundown.....*****

Sable stepped out of the passageway and into the Gryffindor Common Room without anyone the wiser. It had been decided by Sable and Remus that they would leave an hour earlier than the other two boys on their way to the Whomping Willow so that they would have a little time to talk about the fight they had been having. The two students had hardly spoken for going into two weeks, and both were bitter towards the other for the obvious avoidance that had been going on. Before school had let out, every student in Hogwarts had given the two warring wolves their way, not questioning anything, and always being careful not to mention one to the other. Unfortunately for Remus, the Marauders were sick of him being so moody and unpredictable since the unfortunate incident. So, they had conspired with Lily to convince the two to try and talk out their problems, and surprisingly it had worked. So, here they were, swallowing their pride and coming to stand in front of their friends to try and work out their argument without killing each other in the process.

Sitting in the chairs surrounding the fireplace were three of the Marauders, and Lily. There was no one else in the room, other than a few of the younger students who had stayed for the holiday vacation. Today was the first day of their Christmas holiday, and many of the students left had forgone the holiday homework assigned to them to play a relaxing game of wizard's chess, Gobstones, or Exploding Snap. Sable came out from behind the stairwell and walked up to the group of friends sitting in front of the fireplace. If she had ever felt like an outsider since she had come back to Hogwarts, it was now. James and Lily were sitting together on one of the couches, joking and laughing at something, while Remus and Sirius were sitting on the floor playing a card game. She honestly considered turning around and just going back into her lab to hide, but her pride had been bruised enough, and she was not about to back down from this.

Remus was the first to notice her entrance into the Common Room. He glanced up and saw her come out from behind the stairwell, looking like someone was forcing her to do this. He was not exactly in the best of moods either. The wolfish urges in his mind rejoiced when he saw her coming towards them, though. Since the beginning of the week, he had not been able to get a decent night's sleep with Sable being so far away. Of course, he could have went down to her room and asked to stay with her, but he highly doubted that she would let him; besides, he was still upset with her to begin with. When James and the other boys had threatened him with bodily harm if he did not try to talk to her about what she _'thought'_ she had saw, he figured that he could lower his pride enough to talk to her. So, when he saw her coming towards them, he sat the cards he was holding in his hand down on the floor and stood up. 

"Sable." he said politely, nodding at her. The other people in the room could feel the tension building between the two of them.

"Guys. Lily." she acknowledged. She pulled her cloak around her and glanced quickly out of the window on the west side of the Tower. The sun was about an hour from setting, and it was progressively getting darker. Sirius looked up at her and nodded.

"We'll be down in about forty-five minutes, Moony." he said, looking over at the pale boy to his right. "That long enough?"

"Fine." Remus said, grabbing his cloak and pulling it on. It had been snowing for some time that day, and they needed to keep warm during their trip to the Shrieking Shack. "Ready?" he asked Sable. She only nodded and began to walk towards the portrait opening. Remus followed behind her at a slower pace, and their friends gave a sigh of relief when they disappeared from view and heard the portrait click shut.

"You think they'll work this out?" Sirius asked, still looking at the entrance to the Common Room. 

"You and Bella did, didn't you?" Lily asked. 

"Yeah. So?"

"They'll be fine." James said finally. "They're mature enough to talk about this without hexing each other into oblivion." Sirius _hmphed_ and shook his head.

"If you say so, Prongs." he said. "But if we go down there and find Moony beaten to a bloody pulp, I'm gonna be the first person to say 'I told you so'." 

*** Outside the Common Room entrance.... ***

Sable and Remus walked in silence until they made it to the entrance doors of the school. Pulling open the huge double doors, they quickly ran to the Willow. Picking up a large stick and prodding the roots, they immobilized the tree and slipped into the tunnel, using the coming cover of night to hide their escapades.

As they walked silently down the passageway that led into the Shrieking Shack, Sable wondered for the hundredth time how Lily had managed to talk her into this. The silence between the two teenagers was strained and awkward, forcing them to keep silent in fear of saying something that was not exactly smart. Meanwhile, Remus was trying to think of something to say that had nothing to do with the real reason they were down there. Coming up with nothing, he stayed silent.

****Meanwhile, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest…****

Two cloaked figures wound their way out of the dense foliage and peered across the lands to where the Whomping Willow stood tall and proud. In the waning daylight, they could see two figures approach the deadly tree, and finally disappear underneath it's roots. 

"They're in there." the taller of the two men said evilly. "It should not be much longer now." He turned to the other figure, who was just pulling the white mask over his face. "Is everything ready?"

"The note was planted earlier today, before they ever left. My source of information tells me that Robbins and Lupin are supposed to talk about their little altercation tonight before the boy transforms." he answered stonily.

"Then we wait." the other man said. To his side, two threatening growls could be heard. He grinned maniacally and walked over to the two bound animals. "Yes, we wait until they come here, then we let our pets make snack food out of Lupin. After all, a two to one fight is most impressive when messing with these wild beasts, don't you agree, Severus?" The other figure only nodded, shuddering as he watched his partner stroke the fur of the snarling animals at their feet. 

__

'This is going to be a long night.' Snape thought sadly. _'Malfoy is bound and determined to get the girl back to Lord Voldemort tonight. After what we found out, I'm seriously wondering if only the two of us will be able to handle the girl.'_

**** Back in the tunnel under the willow**

When they finally reached the trapdoor that led into the Shrieking Shack, both of them were annoyed and aggravated beyond belief. They climbed into the room and walked around, checking the windows and such for any possible escape routes, even though it was pointless since Remus was harmless after he took the potion. Remus finally had enough and decided to break the ice.

"Sable.." he began, but was cut off by the girl in front of him.

"What's that?" Sable asked, pointing to the window behind Remus. He turned around and walked over to the window, pulling a piece of paper off of the pane of glass and reading over it. A frown appeared on his face and he handed the paper to Sable.

"It says for us to meet Professor Kettleburn on the east side of the castle, near the forest ." he said, looking confused. "Why would Dumbledore want us to meet the Care of Magical Creatures professor? And why didn't he tell us earlier?" 

"I don't know, Remus." Sable said, shrugging her shoulders. "But it is signed by Dumbledore."

"Do you think we should go?" he asked, "I mean, I've only got about half an hour before I start changing. Will we be able to get there in time?"

"Well, Dumbledore signed the note," she said, stating the obvious. "I guess we should. I mean, you're not a threat to anyone since you took the potion. So there shouldn't be any problem." Remus shrugged and turned around, going to the trapdoor and lifting it. Sable pocketed the note and walked over to the trapdoor. In no time at all, they were standing at the base of the tree.

They started walking towards the eastern side of the castle, along the tree line of the Forbidden Forest, just as Dumbledore's note had instructed them to do. Once again, the silence was strained, and neither of them would speak to the other. Finally, Sable got annoyed and broke the ice.

"Remus," she said quietly. "Look, about this apologizing thing...."

"I'm not expecting you to apologize for anything." he said firmly, walking pointedly towards the tree line. "You saw what you saw. Nothing is going to change that. No matter what I say to the contrary, you are not going to believe that I was not the one that you saw down there by the lake that day. You and I both know that." Sable frowned and stopped walking, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the boy.

"Then what's the point of me coming down here, if you already have this so figured out?" she asked sarcastically. "Because it sounds like you already have your mind made up."

"There is no point." he said. "You are convinced that you saw me down by the lake that day, even though I have enough witnesses to prove that I was on the Pitch the entire time. Its come down to my word against yours, Sable. What else can we do, other than agree to disagree?" 

"So you're not denying that I saw you down by the lake, with Sedera?" she asked, getting angry, and unintentionally twisting his words.

"That's not what I said." he replied, gritting his teeth. "I said that you were convinced you saw someone you _thought_ was me. I am, in fact, completely convinced that you probably did see me down there, but I know that it was not the _real_ me."

"You don't have a twin, Remus." Sable pointed out. "If it was not the _real_ you, then who the Hell was it? Cause I'm dying to find out?" Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, causing the strands to stand up on end. 

"I don't exactly know..."

"Well, look at what we have here." came a cold sneer from behind the two students. Sable and Remus whirled around and came face to face with two black cloaked figures standing about ten feet away from them, hidden in the outline of the tree's shadows. They stepped out of the shadows, and Remus pulled Sable behind him so that he was positioned between the two intruders and Sable, pulling out his wand in the process.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking at the two figures. "What do you want?" 

"It's none of your business, wolf boy." the shorter of the two drawled lazily. "Expelliramus!" Remus and Sable's wands were quickly shot out of their hands, landing somewhere in the middle of the trees to their left. 

"Who are you?" Sable asked, looking at the figures. They were obviously two men, judging by the breadth of their shoulders, and their all around body build. But what scared her the most were the emotionless, white masks that the two wore. "What business does Death Eaters have on Hogwarts grounds?" 

"Our business concerns you, Ms. Robbins." the taller of the two said, pointing to her.

"Me?" Sable asked, coming from around Remus. "What in Merlin's name do you want with me?"

"Whatever it is, you're not going." Remus said fiercely. "They'll kill you!"

"If we wanted her dead, wolf boy, we'd have already killed her." the shorter man replied. He lifted his wand and pointed it at Remus, who was defenseless. "Comosupralina!" he yelled. The curse left the wand with the speed of light and hit Remus square in the chest, causing him to fall into the soft white snow, unconscious. Sable, shocked and scared, knelt down and checked for a pulse. It was still there, but weak. _'Oh shit, this is not good!'_ she thought hastily, looking up at the two Death Eaters, wands drawn and pointed at her. _'This is definitely not good at all! Maybe it's a good thing I figured out how to do that transformation thingy after all. Cause it looks like I'm going to be needing it sooner than I thought!'_

"Look," Sable said fiercely, glaring at the two cloaked figures in front of her, "I don't know who you are, or what you're trying to pull, but enough's enough already!" She cradled Remus' limp form to her, trying to detect any form of life left in him. "What do you want?"

"We want you, my dear. Nothing else." the first figure said stoically. Sable looked confused, but realized that dusk was almost over and the full moon would be up in a few minutes._ 'Maybe when the moon gets up, he'll wake up.'_ she thought. _'I can change, and we can get the hell out of Dodge!'_

"Me? What do you want with me?" she asked again, trying to buy herself some time by playing dumb. The snow had began to fall and she felt herself shiver as the coldness finally hit her full blast.

"You've been selected by our leader, Lord Voldemort, to join the ranks of the Death Eaters." the first one continued. Sable flinched with the verbalization of the horrid name.

"You are the ones who have been attacking and killing so many people in the past few months." she stated. "Why would I want to join you? And just what made _ME _so qualified?" She glanced between the two men to where the rim of the full moon was beginning to show. _'Just a little longer.'_ she thought. She could feel Remus' breathing getting stronger as the moonlight began to pour out over the edge of the forest, bathing everything in a soft, luminescent glow. _'Come on Remus,'_ she thought,_ 'Help me out here!_' 

"Your particular ability and talent to manipulate potion ingredients is what caught our Lord's eye. Not to mention your extraordinary magical talent. You are a very powerful witch, Ms. Robbins. The Dark Lord has plans to put you right beside him in power when you come to him." the second man said, matter of factly. "He is granting you a great honor. Usually, there are no females allowed within the ranks of his closest followers since he considers them weak, and fit only for repopulating the world." His voice was oddly familiar, but she was in no state to try and figure out who it was at the moment.

"So I'm something special then, huh?" she said, trying to keep her own feral temper in check. _'Don't' loose it Sable!'_ she thought, _'You loose your temper now and you'll forfeit your life, and Remus' to boot.'_ "Why should I come with you? All you stand for is murder and hatred."

"Those people were casualties of an ongoing war that has been going on since Salazaar Slytherin died, the war to rid the wizarding world of any and all Mudbloods."

"I'm no pureblood, you idiot!" she said fiercely. "Why would you LORD sully his hands with me?"

"Our Lord has decided to overlook that particular shortcoming." one of the answered. Sable realized that her time was running short, and she groped around for another topic that would stall the psychopathic murderers intent on kidnaping her.

"Okay, fine," she said, "what's in it for me." The snow was falling herder now, and the ground was nearly covered in a think blanket of the white powder. Sable spread her cape over Remus' unconscious for. She slipped her hand down to his and squeezed, hoping for a response.

Nothing.

"The followers of Lord Voldemort can give you anything you desire. Money, respect, power. Anything." the first man said. "You come with us and you can have anything and everything you have ever wanted."

"What's the catch?" she asked.

"You pledge your entire being to Voldemort and receive the marking of his followers."

"So I basically become a slave to the whims of some psychopathic killer with a wand and a grudge against normal people?" she said, her temper getting the best of her.

"No, just a follower." Sable smirked.

"You obviously haven't done enough of a background check on me. You see, if you would have, you'd know that I value my freedom above anything else. The only people I answer to are my parents. So as good as your offer is, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. Sorry." She stated. The moon was full out now, and so was her protective, feral instincts. Her eyes were glowing an eerie amber color.

"No need to apologize, Ms. Robbins." the first man said stiffly. "You see, our master knew that you would resist, so we have an ultimatum for you. You come with us peacefully and accept you position beside our Lord, or you parents die. What is you decision?" Sable was thrown into overdrive.

"You don't have my mom and dad, they're in Bulgaria." she said simply.

"They're not anymore. We captured them nearly a month ago."

"How? There's been nothing in the papers about any kidnapings."

"We made sure that the Ministry tried to cover up their disappearances, so as not to alarm anyone."

"Were are the? What have you done with them?"

"They are nearby, in fact, closer than you may think. Would you like to see them? Perhaps that will help in making up your mind." he said coldly. Sable didn't know what was going on, she was a mixture of mixed up emotions. Her wolf instincts were kicking into overdrive. She felt Remus tense up then relax. Searching for his hand, she found it and squeezed it. Sure enough, she felt him squeeze her hand twice in response. She was broken out of her reverie when a sharp whistle penetrated the silence of the forest. Sable looked up in horror as two lanky wolves came romping out of the shadows fo the forest. They came to the feet of the two Death Eaters as obedient as a pair or well trained labradors. _'Oh, God. No!!' _She thought.

"Do they look familiar to you, Ms. Robbins?" the second man sneered. Sable looked at the two wolves. The female was a tan color with black markings on her paws. The male was coal black. Both were growling fiercely at the two people in front of them. Sable took off her cloak and bundled it up, lying Remus' head on it. She stood up and walked slowly towards the figures, not believing what her heightened senses were telling her. Stopping two feet in front of the animals, Sable knelt down.

"Momma? Daddy? Is that you?" The two animals growled and barked at the girl, causing her to fall back into the soft snow. She got up and looked from the wolves to the men. "What have you done to my parents?" she said. "They've never acted like this towards me before!"

"Our Lord figured you would need a little incentive to see things our way." the man continued, "So we apprehended your parents. We've been injecting a controlling potion for weeks. They do whatever we tell them too. They will even kill on command."

"That's not my parents." she stated simply. "They would still be in their human form now. The change shouldn't have occurred. Remus hasn't even changed yet. There's no way those are my parents."

"Yes, that's one of the side effects of the potion." the figure said evilly. "Your parents have been transformed for two days now. The mind altering potion has reacted with the lycanthropy, causing them to change early. Definitely an unexpected surprise, for us at least. They have been trying to sink those teeth into something since yesterday. I believe they think it's time to kill."

"My parent's won't kill anyone." she stated fiercely.

"They used to not kill, when they had their sanity. Now, even in human form, they are loyal servants to the Dark Lord." Sable looked down at the snarling creatures and felt her resolve soften. There was a fierce glint in the eyes of the two wolves, and the only time she had ever seen it before, her father had attacked someone who was trying to mess with her and her mother.

"How could you do this to people? And how do I know that's really my mom and dad? They could very well be imposters you're trying to bluff me with." Sable heard Remus whimper behind her. _'He's changing, good. Maybe we can get the Hell out of here when he's done.'_

"When your parents were captured, they put up quite a bit of annoying resistence." the second one said. "But after administering the truth serum Vertiserum, they told us everything. Including about your interesting bloodline." Sable blanched visibly. No one besides Dumbledore, the teachers, and her friends knew she was a ranula. 

"Yes, our Lord seemed to find in quite interesting that you were indeed no more than a filthy blooded she-wolf." one of them said. Sable felt her anger rise up to new levels. They knew about her. 

"Seeing as how you are so well acquainted with my heritage," she said. " you would know that I will not normally give up without a fight."

"A smart girl." the first one said. "However, I can assure you that you're parents did indeed tell us this information."

"I still don't believe that is my parents." she said defiantly. 

"Would you like a closer look? I'm sure there is someway of identifying them." Sable thought fast, realizing her time was running out.

"Call them off." she said, "let me have a look of them. If I find that they are my parents, I'll go with you peacefully. But if it's not them, you might as well kill me now." The man nodded and the two wolves immediately calmed down. Sable walked back and knelt down. The amber eyes followed her every move. She reached out and took the right front paw of the female. As she had feared, a dark splotch covered the underside of the padded paw. "Momma." she said sadly. Moving to the male, she pulled the fut back on his neck, revealing a scar the width of a quarter and as long as a pencil. "Daddy." she cried. Through her tears she stepped back from the four figures, two human and two wolf. Remus had finished transforming, but lay still. Sable knew he was awake, but biding his time, waiting for her to make a move.

"Well, girl," the man said impatiently, "made up your mind yet?"

"Yes, I have." she said simply.

"Well, what is it?"

"Well, seeing as my friends have all seemed to turn against me, you have been controlling my parents with Dark Magic, and the person I care about is lying in the snow over there, almost dead. What would you do?" The shorter of the two men visibly tensed when she spoke, but it was not because of the edge on her voice, it was because of what she had said. 

"You still care about that worthless beast after what he's done to you?" he asked. "After he cheated on you with another girl, you still care enough about him to worry about his well being?" Sable looked at the man and narrowed her eyes. She knew that voice well, she just could not figure out who it was.

"How did you know about that?" she asked, staring at them.

"You see, Ms. Robbins, the whole mess with Lupin was a set up from the beginning." The taller of the two men said.

"A WHAT??" she asked, getting more angry by the second.

"It was a play to separate the two of you from one another, and to further divide your little golden group among itself." he explained, and Sable could almost see the malicious smile on his hidden face.

"So he never...he never was with Sedera by the lake that evening?" she asked them. The shorter of the two Death Eaters seemed to be growing impatient with her.

"No, he was not with her. In fact, what he told you was the truth. When you came across Ms. Walsh and your precious Lupin, or who you thought was Lupin, he and the others were actually out on the Pitch at Quidditch Practice." Sable gasped, and she could tell that this revelation was really starting to make Remus nervous, since he was letting loose with a small growl, unheard by the two humans but plainly audible to her own hearing.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked. 

"We have our source on information. That's all you need to know." the taller man said.

"Then why did I see Remus by the lake if he really was not there?" she asked. She thought for a minute and then it finally dawned on her. She looked up at the two Death Eaters, Hell's inferno burning in her amber eyes. "Polyjuice Potion."

"How very astute." the taller man drawled lazily.

"And I'll bet the fight a few days before was actually a cover for lifting a piece of his hair. Am I right?" she growled, finally piecing everything together.

"Once again, you are correct." The taller one said. "Not that it is going to matter in the end. The werewolf is unconscious, and will be dead in a few hours out here in the snow." 

"At least bring him somewhere out of the snow. He doesn't deserve to die out here. He hasn't done anything to you. Besides, it's me you want, not him." 

"No!" the shorter man said fiercely.

"But..."

"I said NO!" he said again, slapping her hard enough to knock her down into the snow. Sable put her hand to her face and felt the stinging burn start to course down her cheek. 

"That's enough!" the taller man bellowed. "If she's harmed, Lord Voldemort will kill us both. And I do not feel like being punished for your stupidity!" Sable looked up at the man and frowned. "Besides, once our Lord gets her, he will change her tune in no time. Now let's go, Robbins. Now!" Sable got up off of the ground and looked back to Remus.

"Fine." she said angrily.

"Good." the taller man said. The shorter of the two seemed awful quiet suddenly, and Sable wondered if him slapping her had been beneficial to his own health. _'It won't be in about two seconds!'_ she thought angrily.

"I knew you would see things our way." the second man drawled finally. "Lord Voldemort will be pleased. Now come with us. He awaits our arrival" Sable nodded and walked up to them.

"One quick questions," she said.

"What is it!" he snapped

"Ever been bit by a pissed off she-wolf?"

"No, why?"

"Just wondering asshole, cause you are about to be wolf chow!! Remus!!" With that threat, Remus jumped to his feet, eyes full of fire and canines bared. Next to him stood a pure white wolf with amber eyes, Sable. Bother were crouched down, expecting a fight.

The two cloaked figures stood there stunned. Below them, the tan and black wolves snarled at the unexpected change. The tan wolf jumped to Remus, trying to lock her jaws around the throat of the younger male wolf. Sable rushed her father, catching him off guard and sending him flying into the trees. She let her wolf instincts of survival take over, controlling her every move and reaction. The black wolf came running back towards her at full speed, howling in anger. She lunged at him, jumping onto his back and latching onto his fur. The black wolf howled in pain and tried to throw her off. Sable hung on, and soon her snow white fur was matted with the combined blood of her and her father. So on and on the four wolves fought. Remus had downed the smaller tan wolf, leaving her bleeding and broken, but not dead. Sable fought with her father. Blow by blow they were matched, the father and the daughter. Her youth and stamina matched by his experience and blood lust. Neither one was ready to admit defeat and bow out; each one realizing that the battle would not be over until one of them was dead.

Sable was losing her strength as the blood drained out of her from the gashes and bites. Her alpha wolf father was weakened too from the wounds inflicted upon him by his own daughters teeth. Sensing his weakened stated, she gathered up what was left of her own strength and rushed him once again, knocking him head first into a nearby tree with a sickening _crack_. His figure slumped over, and didn't move as his blood stained the pristine whiteness of the surrounding snow. With her enemy defeated, she fought to regain control of her mind, pushing the feral instincts of the wolf to the back of her conscious. She turned to Remus, seeing him advance to the two cloaked men. She used her reserve to stagger over to the men, baring her teeth.

"What do we do now, Lucius?" the second man asked.

"We leave. This wasn't part of the plan. Her parents told us she did not know how to change. And if we hurt the girl, the Dark Lord will kill us himself." The man, Lucius, turned to the injured white wolf. "You've crossed the line Sabriel. We will have you , or we will kill you." 

Sable let a low growl escape from deep in her chest as a warning. With that threat, the man pulled his wand out, but a large black dog barreled him over into the snow. _'Sirius!' _She thought. Sable blinked in the darkness that was quickly clouding her sight, not sure of what she had just seen. She looked up and saw a stag rear up on two legs and kick at the other man, landing a kick in the man's forehead. _'James! Oh, thank Merlin! We may get out of this alive after all!'_

"You're as good as dead, Sable! Mark my word!" And with that last threat, both the intruders disappeared. Sable slumped down into the snow, slowly losing the concentration to retain her wolfish form. She felt something warm on her face and slowly opened her eyes to see Remus standing over her.

"I"m sorry Remus, you okay?" she asked him. The wolf nodded and licked her hand. She felt someone lift her up out of the cold snow and cradle her like a baby. It was Sirius.

"Sable what happened?" he asked, concern showing in his dark eyes for the girl. Sable felt her head slowly lolling forward. She wanted to sleep, but Sirius shook her awake. "Sable don't you go to sleep. You can't. Not right now."

"Sirius, listen to me carefully," she said slowly, "Where's James?"

"I'm here." came the weary voice of Hogwarts Head Boy.

"Okay, listen to me. I need both of you to take those two wolves to the Shrieking Shack and tie them up, or close them in, or whatever. Just put them somewhere where they can't get out."

"What?? Why?" James exclaimed. "They just tried to kill you two, and you want to help them!!??"

"You don't understand, James," she said quietly, "That's my.... my parents."

"What?" Sirius said, nearly dropping her in surprise.

"I'll explain...later. Just take them there and seal the windows and doors. Don't let them get to each other. They're going to go nuts when they change back. And don't get any of the blood on you, or you could get infected." Sirius shifted her in his arms and covered her with the cloak he was wearing, and give James a puzzled look. The two prone figures of the wolves were nearly dead. There was blood all over the place and Sable was on the verge of blacking out.

"Fine, but you've got major explaining to do, missy." was the last thing she heard before passing out.

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A/N - Hey everyone. How's it going? I hope everyone is having a good holiday season. I don't have much to say right now, just remember to leave me a review telling me how things are going in the story. I want to know.

Later,

A.A.


	35. Chapter 35

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A/N - Okay peeps. Get your umbrellas, cause the sh** is about to hit the fan. Hope you guys are enjoying this stuff. 

Later, 

A.A.

What Have I Done?

Sable awoke in the hospital wing the next morning. While trying to orientate herself to her surroundings, she heard a faint whimper from the other side of the room. Gathering her gown around her, she went to the other space and peeked in. Remus was tossing and turning in his sleep, calling out to anyone who would listen. Before she could go to him, a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Ms. Robbins, what are you doing out of bed?" the wizened headmaster questioned. "If Madame Pomfrey finds you, she'll have my head and yours, too." Sable's thoughts were a quick succession of blurs. Memories from the night before came flashing back to her, causing her to blink rapidly.

"Professor Dumbledore," she said quickly, "I need to speak with you about some incidents that occurred last night." Dumbledore nodded his head and continued.

"Very well, Ms. Robbins. I found it odd that Madame Pomfrey found you alongside Mr. Lupin this morning in Hogsmeade when she went to retrieve him." Sable didn't know what to say without incriminating anyone else. She figured that James and Sirius had brought her back to Hogsmeade last night, but she couldn't implicate them into the mess.

"I can explain that." she answered abruptly. "Please, just hear me out."

"I have every intention of hearing your story, Ms. Robbins. However, it can wait until you are released from the hospital wing. As I said, if Poppy finds you up and out of bed, then...."

" Albus Dumbledore!!" came a screechy voice, "What is that child doing out of bed? I distinctly remember telling you to make sure that she stayed in bed." The school nurse, Madame Pomfrey, came to stand in front of the headmaster.

"I'm sorry, Poppy. But she wanted to check on Mr. Lupin." he explained. "Who am I to stop her?"

"Is he alright?" Sable asked gently, pointing to the tossing form of her friend.

"He's fine my dear. Other than some minor cuts and abrasions, he will be fine. However, I would like to know why YOU were all beat up when I found you." The nurse eyed the dark headed girl critically, waiting for an answer to her question.

"I need to tell both you and the headmaster what happened, because it involves a few more people. But he needs to be awake." she said, nodding her head towards Remus.

"I think it better to allow Mr. Lupin to awaken before we continue this conversation." Dumbledore said.

"It's alright," came Remus' groggy voice from behind the curtain, "I'm awake." Poppy pulled the curtain back and a very roughed up Remus sat up in the bed. Sable did a quick glance over, noting the dark bruises that had formed around his shoulder. A large scratch was on his left cheek, remnants of the fight with her parents last night.

"Mr. Lupin, I need to see you and Ms. Robbins, as well as Madame Pomfrey, in my office as soon as you feel up to it." Remus nodded and Poppy ushered them out so she could check him over.

Ten minutes later, Poppy, Sable and Remus were dressed and sitting in Dumbledore's office.

"Okay, what happened last night?" Albus asked gently. Sable took a breath and glanced to er right, where Remus sat. He nodded and she continued.

"Last night was the full moon, obviously. Well, when Remus and I got to the willow with Madame Pomfrey, we made it to the Shack without incident. When we got inside the Shack, there was a note on one of the outside windows. It said that we were to leave the Shrieking Shack and meet Professor Kettleburn on the eastern side of the castle on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. We thought it was weird, but the note was signed by you, Professor Dumbledore." 

"Do you have the note with you, Mr. Robbins?" the headmaster asked. Sable rummaged through her pockets until she found the wrinkled parchment. She handed it to the man and watched the wrinkles on his forehead furrow down into a frown. He put the note in a drawer and returned his attention to the girl in front of him. "Continue, Ms. Robbins." he said.

"Well, Remus and I left back for the castle. When we got there, Professor Kettleburn was no where to be found. We waited a little longer, but no one came. We were about to leave when someone started firing hexes and curses at us. Remus was hit, and he fell down, unconscious. The next thing I know, two guys in black cloaks are hovering over us. Remus was out cold. I asked them what they wanted... and they said ME. The said that Voldemort had chosen me to go beside him and help the dark side. 

I knew that Remus was about to change, and when he did he would have his strength back. I tried to bide my time until the moon was full up by talking with the two. I figured that Remus and I could run after he changed. But one thing led to another and the next thing I knew, the men told me that they had captured my parents to use as an incentive to draw me over. They said that they would bring them to me, and they did. The tallest of the men whistled and two wolves came out of the forest, it was my parents. I didn't know what to do, so I played along. Then, before I realized what was going on, Remus had transformed and so had I. My parents attacked us on the commands from the men. 

They were so weak from whatever it was Voldemort had done to them that we almost killed them before it was over with." Sable broke down crying, hugging herself as she cried. Poppy hugged the girl and let her cry. The two teens had been through a rough ordeal, and Dumbledore realized that this was not the only time they would despair over the situation.

"I know this is hard, dear." the nurse crooned, "But we need to know as much as you can remember." Remus watched as she cried her heart out. He wanted to help her, hold her and make her feel better. But their fight for the last week was still fresh in his mind, even though he'd been cleared of any part in the whole mass by the confession of the two Death Eaters.

"Mr. Lupin, can you tell us what happened next?" Dumbledore asked. Remus nodded.

"When her parents fell, the two men disappeared, leaving us there. Sable had reverted back to her human form, but she was weak from blood loss. She managed to conjure up some stretchers and bring her parents and myself back to the Shrieking Shack." he explained. Remus knew that he couldn't tell anyone that Sirius and James had helped them. If anyone did find out, the whole lot of them would be expelled form school. "She locked her parents up in separate rooms and sealed the doors. She tried to heal the majority of the cuts from the fight. She did what she could, but passed out before she finished. That's how you found us this morning." 

"So your parents are still in Hogsmeade?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, sir." Sable said. "The two men said that they had been feeding some kind of mind control potion to them for two weeks. But, I couldn't just leave them out there in the snow to die. They're my mom and dad for Christ's sake!"

"I understand, my dear. You did the right thing, I assure you." He turned to Poppy, who had a look of horror on her face. "Poppy, I need you to get her parents to St. Mungos. The medi-witches can help them. I would say to bring them here, but we are not equipped to handle this type of situation." The nurse nodded and quickly left the office at a quick run. When she was gone, Dumbledore turned to the two children.

"Did either of you happen to know either of these men?" Both teens shook their heads.

"I hear the shorter guy call the other one Luca, or Lucas, or Lucifer, or Lucius. Something like that. But I don't know who they were." Sable said. Dumbledore nodded, saying nothing. Meanwhile Remus was seething. _'Lucius Malfoy, you dirty snake! I'll kill you with my bare hands the next time I see your rotten face around here!!'_ He thought. 

"Professor, what will happen to my mom and dad?"

"Well, they will be transported to St. Mungo's where the doctors will check them over and make a decision from there."

" I want to go see them." She said. It was not a request, it was more like a statement of fact, and Dumbledore knew it.

"I don't see why not, as long as you have someone with you, preferably a teacher. I'm pretty sure your other friends will want to accompany you also."

"What about the lycanthropy. The medi-witches will be able to tell, won't they?" Remus asked quickly.

"It's fine. Poppy knows who to send them to. They will be fine." Sable nodded and started crying softly. "You may go back to the Tower now. Clean yourselves up and I will have Professor McGonagall take you to St. Mungo's. Mr. Lupin, make sure she goes directly to Gryffindor Tower. No side stops on the way. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Remus replied. He and Sable left the office, not knowing what was going to happen. They were silent until they got past the second fligh of stairs. Finally, Sable cracked under the strained silence.

"I'm sorry, Remus." she said, refusing o make eye contact with him. "I'm so sorry for everything that's happened." He stopped walking and grabbed her wrists gently, turning her to face him. Even standing directly in front of him, she still would not look directly at him.

"It's not your fault." he said gently.

"Yes, it is." she said. "I'm an idiot for not trusting you and the other boys. I should have listened and most, if not all, of this could have been avoided." She tried to walk away, but he pulled her into a gentle hug, letting her tears stain his shirt and cloak.

"Look at me, Sable." he said fiercely, finally letting her go.

"I can't." she said, her voice sounding defeated and tired.

"You can, and you will." he said firmly, taking her chin and forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes were closed. "Look at me, Sabriel." he said again."

"Remus, I can't." she said quietly. "As bad as I've treated you in the past week and a half..."

"Will be like heaven compared to what I'm going to do if you don't open your eyes and look at me." he growled. Sable opened her eyes, expecting to see a very angry boy, but only finding a face of sympathy.

"Remus.."

"Listen to me, Sable." he said. "This. Is. NOT. Your. Fault."

"But..."

"No 'buts'." he said. "You didn't plan this out. Now that we know what happened on the Pitch and by the lake, everything is fine."

"I didn't trust you, though." she said. 

"Trust me, love," he said. "If it had been me seeing YOU with someone else, I would have done the same thing."

"Please forgive me for doubting you, Remus."

"There's nothing to be forgiven now that we know the truth." he said, hugging her gently and kissing her forehead. "Now let's get ourselves cleaned up and to St. Mungo's to see your mom and dad." They made their way up to Gryffindor Tower and into the Common Room before they were barraged with questions from their concerned friends. 

Sable just sat down on the couch in front of the crackling fireplace. Meanwhile, Remus was trying to explain what had happened. Sable finally gathered up her courage and walked up to James, Sirius, and Lily. She looked at their worried faces and nearly cried again.

"I'm sorry." was all she said before turning around to leave the Common Room.

"Where are you going?" James asked. 

"I've got to go get some clothes. McGonagall's taking me to St. Mungo's to see my parents, and I need to get dressed." she said.

"Uh, Sable," Sirius said, "we can't leave the Tower." Sable shook her head in confusion. "When Dumbledore found out that you and Remus were found all beaten up this morning, everyone was sent back to their Common Rooms. We have strict orders not to leave until further notice."

"How am I going to get to my stuff?" she asked. "I can't leave the school looking like this." She pointed to her rumpled, torn clothing and frowned.

"We can use the passageway behind the portrait." Remus suggested.

"No." Lily said firmly, "I'll lend her some of my clothes. I don't want anyone roaming the halls. Not now, anyways. And we can use the Head's bathroom to get ready. Meanwhile, you can explain to me what happened." Lily said as she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders and guided her to the back of the common room where the entrance to the Head's dorms were accessed. The two girls left to clean up and James and Sirius rounded on Remus.

"What happened?" Sirius asked. "We followed you after about half an hour, but couldn't find anyone when we got to the Shack?"

"We didn't know what was going on, so we thought you might have headed for the forest. It wasn't long before Sirius heard the snarls and barking. By the time we got there, both of you were bloodier than Hell!" James exclaimed. Remus explained about the note and the smaller details as best he could, including the set up by the lake two weeks before. Needless to say, James and Sirius were NOT happy when they found out that there was a spy somewhere amongst their friends.

"Those two wolves were Sable's parents." Remus told the two shocked boys. "Voldemort captured them to use as bait for Sable to come to the dark side. He drugged them with something and they almost lost their sanity. Anyways, when Sable and I changed, they attacked. You guys came in after everything was over." 

"Sable passed out, and so did you. We got both of you back to the Shack with the wolves and locked them up." James said quietly. "And since when does she have an Animagi form?"

"She doesn't." Remus said expasperatingly. "It's a side effect of being a ranula. She can change forms at will, but I think it is only during the week of the full moon."

"She's a born Animagi?" Sirius asked. Remus only nodded in response.

"She just figured out how to do it a few days ago." he said. "I was supposed to help her with it, but things didn't work out that way." The boys nodded and sat down on the couch to wait for the girls to reappear.

The girls came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and sat down on the chairs. Sable's eyes were red from crying and her head was bowed in exhaustion. Remus figured that she had told Lily what had happened. He looked her over carefully and noticed the battle scars she had received. There were black circles under her eyes, and red scratch marks all over her hands where the ripped flesh had been repaired. Her normally brilliant violet eyes were downcast and lacking the normal luster they exhibited.

The boys quickly changed and McGonagall came to get them, not surprised that the whole group was coming. They walked down the corridors to the Great Hall in silence. Outside the huge entrance doors were three horseless carriages. Sirius, Remus and Sable climbed into one while McGonagall, James and Lily climbed into the other one. They were in Hogsmeade within minutes of leaving the school. They were dropped off at _The Three Broomsticks_. From there, they would use floo powder to travel to the main lobby at St. Mungos. 

When they arrived at the hospital, there was a sudden change in Sable's demeanor. She went from the quiet and upset lady they had found that morning to an all-business phase in less than two seconds. She went up to the receptionist and told her who she was. The young witch pointed them in the direction of the third floor and said that Dr. Penske would be there, waiting for them. She thanked the receptionist and went over to the elevators with the others following behind her. As the doors slid open to the third floor, Sable recognized Dr. Penske. He was a man of about thirty with reddish-brown hair and little, gold glasses. The doctor seemed to know who they were and immediately summoned them to his side.

"Ms. Robbins, I presume." he said politely, shaking her hand.

"Yes, and you must be Dr. Penske?" Sable asked.

"That I am, my dear." he said respectfully. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, doctor." she said politely. "These are friends of mine from school and this is my Professor from Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall." She pointed to the Head of Gryffindor house and nodded.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." he said warmly. The kids murmured their thank-you's and stood still. Sable turned back to the doctor and frowned.

"Dr. Penske, I'm going to come straight to the point," she said politely, "What is the diagnosis for my parents?" The doctor seemed a little uneasy to speak in front of others about the condition of one of his patients, but Sable prompted him to go on saying that whatever it was the rest of her friends already knew about it. McGonagall seemed surprised, but said nothing to her.

"Well, Ms. Robbins," he said clearly, "so far as we can tell, they have a large amount of a mind numbing ingredient in their blood stream called Banewood, a plant very similar to Wolfsbane, as I am sure you are familiar with. It has reacted with the active lycanthropy in their blood and put them in a form of stasis. Until we can get their healthy blood built back up and the Banewood cleansed from their system, there is no telling how long they will remain unconscious." Sable nodded her head in acceptance and focused on her questions.

"If ..... when they wake up, will there be any difference in their mental capabilities?" she asked.

"Well, considering the amount, concentration, and frequency of the dosages they had been receiving, I can't give you an answer to that right now." he said sadly. "However, the preliminary blood work shows that their were no other elements present in what they had been given, so there is a slight glimmer of hope that their bodies will be able to fix itself at a quicker pace."

"I see. How long do you estimate that they will be unconscious?" she asked, hoping that he would only say a few hours or at the most a day or two.

"They could be like this for anywhere from two hours to four weeks, Ms. Robbins." If they are going to wake, it'll be within a four week period. By then, their body should be fully recovered from the shock." Sable nodded to show that she understood what he was talking about. The doctor looked a little dubious at the girl, but said nothing.

"Can I go see them?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, you may; however, they are in separate rooms for the time being. And will remain there until the first two stages of detoxication is complete. And I only want two of you at a time in there." Sable nodded and thanked the red headed doctor before turning to go down the hallway were her parents were being treated. She found her father's room first and took a deep breath before entering it. She felt a hand grip her shoulder and reassure her. She smiled up at Professor McGonagall through her tear eyes and opened the door. Her eyes came to rest on the still figure in the bed. 

"Oh, my God," she gasped, "What have I done?"

On the clean, white sheets of the hospital bed lay the unconscious form of Robert Robbins. Sable fought back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes and slowly walked into the room, her eyes focused on her father. There were bruises on his face, remnants of the fight with her the night before. His head was bandaged in clean cloths. _'Must be from the blow to his head.'_ she thought. There were deep gashes on his hands and bite marks on his neck. Sable hung her head as the shameful tears fell from her violet eyes.

"Daddy.... daddy, I'm sorry." she sobbed to the unconscious man. "Please daddy, please tell me you can hear me. I'm here, right by you. And Momma's not too far away. Please, daddy, at least let me know you hear me." she begged the man. She took her dad's hand and placed it between her own, rubbing the cooler flesh to slightly warm it up. 

McGonagall was not sure of what to do. The girl in front of her was nearing hysterics. She had not realized, nor really wanted to believed what had transpired the night before, but looking at the beat up form of Robert Robbins, she knew Sable had not exaggerated. Minerva gathered the girl into a tight hug and tried to pull her gently from the room. Sable resisted and firmly stood her ground.

"I want to see my momma." she said in an almost child like voice.

"Are you sure, Ms Robbins?" The professor asked. Sable nodded and gave her father a quick good bye kiss.

"I'm going to check on momma, so you be good daddy." she whispered. She backed away and went to the door, a fresh well of tears coming over her eyes. She walked out of the door and straight into a pacing body. Pushing whoever it was to the side, she ran across the hall and into the room her mother was in. Through the tears, she could see the older version of herself lying in the bed. She felt someone come up behind her, but she did not even turn around to see who it was, not really caring who saw her tears of shame and anger. Walking to her mother's bedside, she knelt down and laid her head on the side close t to her mother's hand.

Remus walked in right behind Sable after she had pushed Sirius down. He followed her into the mom's room, not sure what to expect. Carol Robbins was lying on the bed, unconscious. Dark black marks had formed around her eyes. Her usually tanned and supple skin was cold and clammy. The paler skin was stretched taunt over her beautiful features, make her look more dead than alive. He noticed a few red marks on her hands and neck, the only thing left of the gashes he had inflicted upon her. He broke out of his revere when Sable started sobbing.

"Momma, I'm so sorry for all of this. It's all my fault. None of this should have happened to you and daddy..." Remus bent down and pulled the sobbing girl into his arms, nearly crushing her in his attempt to comfort her. She was weak and upset, not a good combination.

"Shhhh.... it's alright." he said, stroking her hair, "They are going to be fine." Sable was beyond help right now. Clinging tightly to him, she cried harder than she ever had before. "Come on, Sable," he said smoothly, "they are just sleeping. They'll be awake in no time. I promise." Remus wasn't sure as to whether he could keep that promise or not. _'But I'll do whatever I can to keep it.'_ he thought. Sable shuddered as another wave of grief hit her.

"Remus, look at what I've done to them." she said, "They're lying on death's door because of me. Voldemort nearly killed them because he knew I wouldn't join them voluntarily." She pulled back from him and looked up at him, her eyes were swimming in anger, shame, and sadness. "My God, Remus, what have I done?" She lowered her head and broke out of his embrace, moving to sit on the couch nearby, her knees drawn up to her chest.

"It's not your fault." he said simply, sitting next to her. "You didn't do this to them, Voldemort did."

"But I am the reason they were captured. I'm the reason they were drugged. I'm the reason why they fought us. I'm the reason they are lying there right now." she said. Remus knew she would try to place the entire fiasco on herself if she could find a way, and he wasn't about to let her. He had fought her mother that night. He was the reason there were bite marks on her skin, not Sable. He shook his head and turned to her. 

"You didn't do this to her, Sable, I did." he reminded her.

"But if Voldemort hadn't wanted me, then he wouldn't have captured them." she said, trying to rationalize everything. "I wouldn't have been on the edge of the forest, and you wouldn't have been caught out in the cross fire." Remus tried to hug her again, but she moved away swiftly. 

"Are you ready to go?" he asked quietly, after a while. "Dr. Penske will be in here in a few moments to get us out."

"I'm not going anywhere." she stated firmly. Plunking down in another chair on the opposite side of the room.

"Sable, you can't stay here." he said. _'Now she gets stubborn!' _He thought tiredly. _'Just bloody great!'_

"And why not??" 

"Doctor Penske said they needed rest, Sable."

"Then they'll rest while I'm here." she said quickly. "I'm not leaving them again."

"Sable...... we can't ....."

"I'm not going ANYWHERE!!!" she said loudly. About that time, Dr. Penske stepped into the room. Sable glared at him, and folder her arms defiantly. 

"I'm sorry Ms. Robbins," he said, "but you need to let them rest now."

"I'm not moving until one of them wake up." she said.

"Ms. Robbins, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Your parents need rest."

"They can rest while I'm here. I'm not leaving them again."

"You need to rest, Sable" Remus said quietly. The doctor nodded in agreement.

"I would have to agree with your friend, Ms. Robbins. I'm sure you had a rough night last night; after all, it was a full moon. Both of you look like you could use some rest."

"What?" Sable asked, the older man's words finally sinking into her mind. "How do you know..... last night?" She looked up at the doctor in amazement.

"You are not the only one who has lycanthropy in their blood, Ms. Robbins. I assure you of that." Dr. Penske said with a wink. 

"You're ... you're one of us?" Remus asked, amazed that he had found another werewolf. The man only nodded and rolled up the sleeve of his white coat to reveal two rather large, scarred bite marks on his forearm. 

"Yes, Mr. Lupin, I am." he said simply.

"I'm still not moving from this spot." Sable said firmly , regaining the men's attention.

"Ms. Robbins, their condition is not going to change for at least four to five days. It will take that long to get all of the Banewood out of their system. Until that time, they will remain just as you see them now. There is very little, if anything you can do for them at the moment. After the first stage of de-tox is complete, then you can be of help." Sable's head fell at the man's obvious admonition.

"Is there anything I can do to help them now?" she asked.

"The only thing I would suggest would be to gather up some of their belongings and bring them here. Pajamas, bath robes, anything that may make them more comfortable when they wake up." he said slowly.

"I can do that." she said.

"Good. Now, go and get some rest. I'll send word to Dumbledore about you needing to take a trip home. Where do you live, by the way?"

"Godric's Hollow."

"Good, then let's get you out of here. I daresay your friends are worried sick." Remus helped her up off of the couch, careful not to rush her. Before walking out of the door, she glanced back at her mom. _'I'll be back soon,'_ she thought, before closing the door behind her. _'I love you, momma.'_

James, Lily and Sirius were sitting outside in the waiting room with Professor McGonagall. They saw Dr. Penske come around the corner with Remus and Sable in tow. The three friends jumped up when they saw the other coming.

"Professor McGonagall, may I have a word with you?" the doctor asked. She nodded and followed the man to the hallway. Remus was still holding a weak Sable to his side when she returned.

"Dr. Penske has informed me of your need to go home. He is sending the Headmaster a letter as we speak." Sable nodded numbly, not really hearing any of it..

"Let's get you two back before you pass out from exhaustion." Sirius said, pointing to Remus and Sable. The two friends nodded and quickly trudged to the fireplace. Throwing the powder into the flames, each one shouted _'The Three Broomsticks' _before being whipped away.

Sable stumbled out of the fireplace and the pub and was caught by James. When everyone had reappeared, Sable allowed herself to be guided to the outside of the building where the carriages were waiting for them. She stepped into the carriage and watched as the forest surrounding the village disappeared and the castle came into view. Dumbledore was at the doors, waiting for them as they arrived.

"You have returned safely, very good." he said. "Ms. Robbins, you are going to be moved into the Gryffindor dormitory until further notice. I want someone with you at all times."

"Yes, sir." she said meekly.

"Very good," he said, "I will have the house elves transfer your belongings to the Gryffindor dormitories. I am afraid that until this matter is resolved, you will be required to stay in the dormitories.

"But what about my research?" she asked.

"Professor Dumbledore," Remus said, "You can't stop her from working. She'll go nuts."

"Thank you for that wonderful vote of confidence in my sanity, Remus." she said sarcastically. "I really needed that right now."

"Sorry, you know what I meant." He apologized.

"You may bring your potion's supplies down to the dungeons to work there until the beginning of term. My suggestion is to brew enough of the Wolfsbane Potion for the next few months. However, I am afraid you will have company everywhere you go for the rest of Christmas break."

"Is there anyone staying over the holidays in Slytherin House?" Sirius asked.

"Severus Snape is the only seventh year you will be concerned with." he said.

"So much for peace and quiet." James mumbled. Sable grimaced and nodded to the headmaster.

"I'll finish my work over the course of the next few days."

"Very well, Ms. Robbins." He looked at the others and nodded. "Until the rest of the students return, I want one of you four with her at all times. That is the only way we can insure her safety." The four friends nodded in acceptance, quickly understanding the gravity of the situation. "Now, Ms. Evans, I want you and the others to take her directly to the Gryffindor Common Room, and no side stops along the way. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Lily said. She guided her friend up the stairs and into the Common Room with out pausing. When the Fat Lady closed behind them, Sable immediately went to the couch and drug out a quill, ink, and parchment.

"What are you doing?" James asked, concerned that she might be writing a suicide letter or something.

"It's a list of the things I am going to pick up from my house when I go home. Dr. Penske said that the only thing I can do right now is pick up a few familiar things that may make them feel better when they wake up. So I'm making a list so that I don't forget anything." she explained.

"When are you going to get the stuff?" Sirius asked.

"Whenever the Headmaster will let me leave." she answered.

"Well, let's find out when we can go." James said. He walked over to the fireplace and threw ap inch of green powder into the flames, crying out the headmaster's name. Two seconds later, the wizened head of Dumbledore could be seen in the flickering flames.

"What is it, children?"

"Sable wanted to know when she could go to Godric's Hollow to get a few things for her parents."

"Ah, yes. I have just received Dr. Penske's letter to such an extent." the Professor said.

"So I am allowed to go?" Sable asked.

"Of course you may go, my child. In fact, I am particularly sure that you would find a way to get back to your home even without my consent." he laughed and Sable only nodded her head in agreement. "However, there is one stipulation for this trip that I need inform you of. You must have a few people with you as precautionary measures. If you travel alone, I fear you may be attacked again. But if you have company, I doubt that Voldemort's minions will attack so readily."

"When can we leave out for Godric's Hollow?" James asked quickly. Sable ignored the comment since she didn't have to ask if the others would come with her, they had already volunteered.

"You may leave in the morning around ten o' clock." Dumbledore's persona answered, "I will contact the Ministry immediately and have the necessary precautionary barriers set up in time for our arrival."

"Professor," Lily chanced, "you do realize that we will have to spend the night at Sable's house. There is no way that we can get to Godric's Hollow, gather her stuff, and be back in one day."

"Of course, Ms. Evans. I have taken that into consideration as we were discussing. I see no reason for you to make the trip in one day. However, I will expect you back no later than nightfall day after tomorrow. That is the only safe amount of time I can grant you."

"That's fine, sir." Sable said, "I won't be long once we get to my house. A couple of hours at the most." 

"Very well, children. Is there anything else that I can do for you at the moment." the headmaster asked.

"No, I think that is the only thing I was worried about right now, Professor. Thank you." Sable answered.

"You're welcome, Ms. Robbins. Now, I suggest that you get some lunch and some rest. You will have a long and tiring day ahead of you tomorrow." 

"Thank you, Headmaster," Remus said. "We'll make sure she is ready for the trip for tomorrow." The disembodied head seemed to smile, but not quite. He nodded slowly and disappeared from the surrounding flames, leaving the fireplace barren and cold.

Sable turned back to her writing, mumbling incoherently to herself.

"So, is anyone else in here hungry?" Sirius asked. "It's already after lunch time, and I'm starving." Murmurs came from the others, who echoed his sentiment. Sable, however, was in such a nervous state that she felt her stomach cutting flips and moaning.

"You guys go on and get some lunch. I'm not up to eating at the moment."

"We're not leaving you alone." Remus said. "You heard what Dumbledore said."

"Remus, I'm in the Gryffindor Common Room. I don't think anything can get me in here."

"That was also the edge of Hogwarts grounds last night, and we didn't think anything would happen." Remus countered.

"Okay, point in case taken." she sighed. "Let's go. But I'm not eating." They went down to the Great Hall, where a few other students were finishing up lunch. Sable noticed that Snape seemed to get rather nervous when they entered the Hall. He got up and left before they ever sat down to eat, but she passed it off as the normal Slytherin/Gryffindor animosity. She took her seat next to Remus and stared at the plate in front of her as her stomach began to groan. 

"I think you many need to eat a little something." Lily said kindly.

"I don't think I can keep anything down. My nerves are fried." she answered, picking at her food.

"Just try a little something, please." Remus said. He had piled more food onto his plate than she thought was healthy and was still adding more as he spoke. "Anything is better than nothing." She nodded and looked down at her plate. Due to the lycanthropy present in their systems, Remus and Sable had the appetites of growing wolf cubs after the full moon. However, she was not in any state to eat, even though her stomach begged to differ. _'Doesn't seem like it bothers him any.'_ she thought, watching as Remus began to eat at the pile of food on his plate. She picked up a fork and slowly began to eat the food.

By the time lunch was finished, Sable had eaten a little, but in everyone else's opinions, not enough to keep anyone alive. They went back up to the common room and found a surprise for them as they opened the portrait hole. A little house elf was coming out of the portrait. She had a big, brown eyes and a white pillowcase wrapped around her small body. At the sight of the Marauders, the little creature became instantly talkative.

"Oh, Misters Black, and Lupin, and Potter, sirs." the elf said quickly. "Is there a Misses Robbins with you, sirs?" Sirius stepped forward and knelt down to the little creature with an easy smile.

"Yes, Mitsy, there is." he said. "She's right here." He pointed back to Sable and she stepped out from behind James and Lily. 

"What is it, Mitsy? Is something wrong?" she questioned anxiously.

"No, misses," the elf stammered, "nothing is wrong. But Mr. Headmaster Dumbledore sir wanted Mitsy to tell Misses Robbins that Misses Robbins' stuff have been put in the room next to Misses Evans' room." Sable nodded in understanding and smiled at the frail creature.

"Thank you, Mitsy." she said. "Is that all the Headmaster wanted you to tell me?"

"Yes, misses. The Headmaster sir did not tell Mitsy anything else."

"Well, thank you so much, Mitsy. You saved me a lot of work." she smiled. The elf's smile beamed back up to the girl in pure happiness.

"Tis' no problem, miss." the elf said. "I is happy to work for Misses Robbins. But now, Mitsy must be going, for Mitsy has other matters to attend to." Sirius patted the elf on the head and grinned. 

"Well, go on then. We wouldn't want to keep you from your work." James said kindly. The little elf bobbed a curtsy and was walking away as the others made their way into the common room. Remus waited until the others were in the Common Room before calling out to the little elf. He pulled the little creature back and whispered quietly to her. The elf nodded and sprinted off towards the kitchens at a break neck speed. Remus grinned and went through the portrait hole and into the common room.

They spent the next half hour involved in various activities. James and Sirius were playing a game of wizard's chess while Lily was doing some holiday homework she had been assigned. Remus was sitting on a chair with a book in his lap, and Sable was sitting on the floor with a deck of cards in her hands since she was utterly exhausted, but could not seem to go to sleep.

Remus watched as she carefully laid the cards on the floor in a certain pattern. She held the deck face down in her hand and picked the first card up and flipped it onto the floor, the Queen of Hearts. Then, she placed six more cards face down to the right of the first one. When she finished filling the seven spaces, she went back to the second card and flipped up the next card, the Ace of Spades. And so on until there were seven piles of cards with a card face up on top. He watched as she began to place the cards in alternating colors in descending order. Curious as to what she was doing, he shut his book and sat down next to her.

"What you doing?" he asked, watching as she picked up a whole line of cards and moving them over.

"It's a Muggle game called solitaire." she said quietly. 

"How do you play?" he asked.

"Well, the point is to find all four of the aces, and build the suits up from there." she answered. "Supposedly, it can be done anytime you play. Unfortunately, I dealt myself a screwed up hand this time." She put the cards down and rubbed her temples. Remus noted that she seemed really tired and strung out.

"How many other games do you know how to play?" he asked, picking up the cards and expertly shuffling them.

"I only know how to play a few." she said. "Battleship, solitaire, rummy, gin rummy, poker, bullshit, blackjack, and a few others." 

"That's only a few?" he asked. She smiled and nodded, leaning back against the couch behind her.

"Oh, man, I need to get out of here for a while." she yawned.

"How about a game of Quidditch?" he asked, eyeing her for a reaction. Sable's eyes popped open at the mention of her favorite game and she grinned.

"That's not a bad idea, Remus." she said. "But who else are we gonna get to play. I think the rest of our friends are a bit preoccupied at the moment." She pointed back to Lily, who still had her head stuck in a book. Sirius and James were in the middle of a violent chess game that left half of James' black pieces destroyed and the majority of Sirius' white pieced incarcerated.

"Damn it Padfoot!" James yelled. "I needed that rook. Why didn't you take that pawn. I didn't need him!" Sirius grinned and moved another piece.

"The same reason you took my queen a minute ago, Prongs." he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and James had missed it entirely. "It was there, so I took it." James only grumbled and went back to his plan of attack. 

Remus grinned and stood up from the floor.

"Hey guys, you feel like playing a little Quidditch right now?" he asked. "Or are you to engrossed in your game to give it up." James grumbled as Sirius finally took his king and turned to Remus.

"I'm game. How 'bout you, Sirius?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm game. James needs something to redeem himself after that horrible loss in chess." he grinned.

"You're going to pay for that comment, Sirius." came Lily's reply. "You know how bad James' ego is hurt when he loses."

"Hey, I don't have an ego!!" James said loudly.

"Of course you don't, honey." Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, and a Snitch isn't gold." Sable muttered. Remus grinned and tried to keep from laughing at her. 

"How are we gonna play?" Sirius asked. "We only have five people. That makes the teams uneven."

"I'll go get Bell," James said, "He stayed over the holidays and is always is up for a scrimmage. I'll be back in a minute." He quickly went up to the dorms and found the boy. 

"So who's playing what position?" Sable asked.

"Well, let's see." Sirius said. "I think we need to split the teams up first." He looked around the room and saw James coming back with the Gryffindor Beater in tow. "James, how are we going to pick teams?" 

"I don't care, Padfoot. You pick your two and I'll take the others." he said.

"Good." he snickered. "I want Sable and Bell." 

"Fine, then I get Remus and Lily." he answered. Lily stuck her head out from behind the book she was holding and glared.

"Who said I was playing?" she asked. "I'm in the middle of homework over here." James winked and put on a puppy dog face that was guaranteed to get what ever he wanted.

"But Lily," he begged, "we need another player, and you are already here. Plllllleeeeaasssee come play."

"James Potter, don't give me that look." she warned, sticking her head behind her book. James took the book out of her and blinked back imaginary tears.

"But Lily, pppplllleeeeaaasseeee." he whined. 

"Oh, alright, already." she conceded. "But you know how horrible I am on a broomstick."

"That's alright, dear." James smiled. "That's why you are going to be playing Seeker."

"SEEKER!!!" she shrieked.

"It's okay, Lily." Sirius said. "I'm putting Bell as our Seeker. So it all evens out. He's used to hitting things away from us. Trust me, his seeking skills are as bad as yours."

"Hey, I heard that." grumbled Bell.

"It's only the truth." James said. 

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to rub it in my face." Bell grumbled. Sable smiled and grabbed her sweater off the back of the couch and picked her cloak up from the floor where she had discarded it earlier. They bundled up against the cold weather and made their way outside.

As the two teams scrimmaged. James wondered why Sable refused to join the House team as a reserve. Her abilities on a broom were amazing, and she was such a natural flyer. His own team was not doing too well at the moment. Lily was circling above the scene, tailing Bell. Both of them were looking for a flicker of gold in the diminishing light of day, but neither had seen it yet. Remus and himself were actually doing a decent job of scoring against the other team. Even though, Remus was not on the team and James' normal position was Seeker, they were doing fairly well against Sirius and Sable. Sirius and Sable worked together as flawlessly as humanly possible. They actually seemed to sense where the other was about to go as they flew down the field at breakneck speeds. The teamwork put out by the two was the only thing that kept them alive, since Sirius was not a very good scorer -at least not with a Quaffle-. He'd get the Quaffle and pass it to Sable, who was lighter, faster, and a better aim than himself. So far, the two black headed students were up by twenty points. James groaned as he seen Remus loose the Quaffle and Sirius pick it up. _'This is gonna be a long evening.'_ he thought.

By the time the sun had set, the six friends were completely exhausted. They had played hard and were wearing the battle wounds to prove it. Somewhere along the line, Sable and Bell had crashed into each other, sending both of them to the ground about ten feet below and almost causing Remus to have a heart attack. Luckily, they were both fine. Sirius and Remus had been fighting over the Quaffle and had left a few bruises on each other. James and Lily had somehow collided as he was about to score a goal, leaving them teetering dangerously on one broom. 

Sirius set down onto the ground and looked around at his friends. Lily was still peeved at James for running into her. Bell was dusting off some dirt that had accumulated on his cloak, and Remus and Sable were laughing at James, still clutching the Snitch that neither appointed Seeker had been able to catch, as Lily laid into him again. James could do nothing but take the berating with a grin. When she finally got done yelling at him, James gave her a hug and she shut up. Sirius grinned and looked back over to where Remus was standing with Sable. She looked tired and worn out to him. _'Those full moons are a killer on those two.'_ he thought bitterly, _'It's a shame that two people like Remus and Sable can't live a normal life.'_

As they trudged back up to the castle, Sable finally realized exactly how tired she was when she started stumbling up the stairs. When they made it up to the Common Room, she told Lily that she didn't want any thing to eat and that she was going to bed. Lily nodded and showed her where the bathroom was for the Heads, and where her bedroom was. She left the black headed girl with a smile and the advice of taking a hot bath while they were gone. Sable nodded and grabbed a few clothes from her room. Hearing the portrait hole snap shut, she went into the bathroom and ran a very hot tub of water.

Half an hour later, Sable pulled her exhausted self out of the tub and into some pajamas. She went into her room and crawled up into her bed, snuggling into the blanket's warmth. Across the room, someone was covered up with James' invisibility cloak on the couch, watching to make sure that no one got near her again without him ripping them to pieces first.

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A/N - Oh dear! What does she see? Tune in next time for the next episode of this wonderful saga.

Later,

A.A.


	36. Chapter 36

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A/N - Okay everyone, hope you guys are enjoying so far. I'll quit babbling and let you all continue on.

Later,

A.A.

Fluff Galore

Early that morning, Sable was woken from her already erratic sleep by loud snores from the other side of her room. _'What the Hell is that?' _she thought. The room was dark and the wind was howling outside. A bone-chilling coldness had set into the room and she did not want to get out of bed to find out who, or what was in there with her. Finally, common sense ruled out and she steeled herself for the immense cold that she was about to encounter. Pulling back the covers of her bed, she quietly jumped out and began searching for the source of the noise. She groped around in the dark for her wand and found it next to her bed. She checked her watch and noted that it was right after three in the morning.

"Lumos." she muttered. A weak light began to filter from the tip of her wand, illuminating the dark room. She moved around the room slowly, trying to find out where the snores were emanating from. Her gaze rested on the little couch across from her bed. There was the indention of a body on it, and a disembodied arm hanging down beside it. She was shocked to find an arm just hanging off of her couch, and wondered who it was. But, she finally figured out who it was when the mystery sleeper started mumbling again.

"James.....can't...prank... Sable....kill me if.......she ......Lily.....found out......did....prank 

on...... Slytherins......How ........this.......McGonagall."

__

'Remus Lupin,' she thought, _'Have you been in here all night? Sleeping on that uncomfortable couch? And dreaming about pranking the Slytherins. Indeed what would McGonagall think?'_ She walked up to the couch and pulled the invisibility cloak off of him. Sure enough, Remus was sprawled out on the couch, arms hanging off of the sides. Sable grinned and dropped the cloak on the floor. Remus tried to move to keep the cooler air from hitting him; but due to the small confines of the couch, and his long arms and legs, he only managed to squirm into an awkward position. He was still snoring as loud as ever, but it didn't matter. Sable seriously thought about pulling a prank on him while he was asleep, but decided against it. _'He's only in here because he's worried.' _she thought, _'It would be mean of me to prank him while he was sleeping. Besides, it's not like he hasn't done this before.'_

'Yeah, but you know he would do it to you if he had the chance.'came an insistent voice. Sable smiled and pulled out her wand. With all the crap that had been going on, she decided that it would do everyone some good to have a good laugh. _' Sorry, Remus. Too bad it's at you expense." _she thought wryly. She quickly conjured up a heavier blanket and laid it on top of him to ward off the night chill. She didn't need him waking up and ruining her plan.

"This is payback for all the times you guys got me, mister." she whispered. Then, she transfigured a glass of water into a whole bucketful of water and suspended it above his head. When he sat up in the morning, the suspension charm would disengage and the water would pour out onto him. She put a cooling charm on the already cold water to make sure that it stayed right above freezing until morning time. She grinned and pulled the invisibility cloak off of the floor and folded it, bringing it with her to her bed. _'Good thing no one is trying to kidnap me again.'_ she thought, _'Remus wouldn't be any help. He'd sleep through the whole thing!!!' _She silently laughed as she climbed back into bed. _'Somebody's going to have a rude awakening in the morning.'_ she thought.

****************************************

Lily woke up that morning about seven o' clock with a grimace. They were supposed to be leaving to go to Sable's house today to retrieve some of her things, but there was one humongous snow storm going on. It had blew up a few hours ago, and had not stopped yet. She reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed, intending to wake Sable up. She gave the password to the sentry portrait guarding Sable's room and stepped in. The curtains were still closed around the bed, but she saw someone's body on the couch. She also noticed a bucket of cold looking water suspended over the head of who ever was on the couch. Wondering who it was since no one had the password besides Sable, herself, and James, she pulled back the covers and smiled. 

Remus was beginning to stir from his sleep and Lily softly shook him to finish rousing him up. Remus only muttered and tried to turn over to get away from the wake up call.

"Remus Jason Lupin," she said, "what do you think you're doing in here?" Remus' eyes immediately shot open and he jumped up; in turn, causing the bucket of cold water to drop onto his head.

"Ahhhh!!!!!! That's cold!!!!!" he yelled, jumping off of the couch. "Lily, what's the big idea??!!" 

Sable was jerked awake by the sound of Remus' scream. _'Bull's eye.'_ she grinned, pulling her curtains back to see a confused and wet Remus Lupin and a laughing Lily Evans. 

"I didn't do anything, Remus." Lily said, trying to control her giggles. "I was just trying to wake you up." She handed him a dry blanket and stood back.

"Where did that bucket of water come from?" He demanded, looking rather skeptically at the red headed Head Girl.

"That would be from me." Sable said, stepping out of her bed. She smiled as Lily busted out laughing again. 

"What'd you do that for?" Remus questioned, trying to absorb some of the water with the blanket.

"Well, I woke up and heard someone in my room. I poked my head out and saw someone's arm near the couch. I didn't know what to do, so I figured I'd find out who it was." she explained. "Honestly, Remus, I didn't know it was you." She put her hands behind her back and hung her head, feigning sorriness and innocence. Lily giggled again as Sable tried the innocent act on Remus.

"I'm not buying that story, Sabriel." he growled, throwing the blanket down on the ground.

"Sorry, but it's the truth." she said. "I didn't know who it was, and I didn't want to wake them up to find out." Remus glared at her and she only shrugged and pouted, trying to convince him that she really didn't know who it was.

"Well, since both of you are already awake," Lily stated, "I'll go get the others up. We're supposed to leave in two hours for Hogsmeade." She turned to leave the room and glanced back, putting a mock stern face on. "And I'll expect you two children to be ready by that time. No more pranks. Understand?" Sable nodded and hid her grin. Remus only glowered. Lily stepped out of the portrait and stood there, waiting for the fireworks to begin. Sure enough, Remus let Sable have it as soon as the portrait shut.

"What was all that about?" he asked.

"What was all what about?" she asked innocently.

"The bucket of ice cold water."

"Oh, well like I said, I didn't know who was in my room. I didn't know what to do." She shrugged and sat down on the edge of her bed. Remus screwed up his eyes and looked at her carefully.

"You didn't know who was in here? You know enough hexes and curses to kill someone without the Ministry of Magic finding out, and all you could think of was a bucket of cold water?" he asked incredously. 

"Really, Moony," she said, feigning embarrassment at his comments, "I believe you are overestimating my talent." Sable tried not to grin, but it didn't work.

"Not to mention, there's the issue of this extra thick blanket I was covered up in. Now where did that happen to come from. Not to mention, James' cloak which is right here." He picked up the blanket and searched under it. When the cloak could not be found, he stood up and looked beneath the couch.

"Looking for something?" Sable teased. Remus only growled and kept looking. He still could not find the cloak after another few minutes of searching.

"What did you do with the cloak, Sable?" he asked. 

"What cloak? I haven't seen any cloak." she said. Remus walked up to her and frowned.

"You know exactly what cloak I'm talking about, missy." he said.

"Would it happen to be a silvery cloak made from the hairs of a Demoguage that makes you invisible once you put it on?" she queried, trying to push his buttons early in the morning.

"Yes, Sable. That's the one." 

" Uhhh, nope haven't seen one. Sorry. Can't help you." she said airily. Remus grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stand up. He knew she was just stringing him along, but he decided to play along since she seemed to be in a better mood.

"Now, Sable," he said slowly, "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where is James' cloak? I know you took it, now where is it? I'll tear this room apart if I have to looking for it, and you know I will."

"I don't think I'm going to tell you." she said simply.

"Why not???" 

"Number One: You snuck into my room without permission. Two: You tried to hide yourself under James' invisibility cloak so I couldn't see you. Three. You scared me senseless last night when I woke up to hear you snoring as loud as the Hogwart's Express. Four. You didn't even have the brains to make sure yourself was completely covered up last night. After all of that, give me one good reason why I should tell you where the cloak is."

"I can defend myself to the fullest." he said quickly. "One. James gave me permission to keep an eye on you last night. He even gave the password to your room. Therefore, I did not sneak in. Two. I hid under the cloak because I knew you wouldn't have let me stay if you knew I was here. Three. I didn't mean to scare you last night. And for that I am profusely sorry. And four. I can't help it if the cloak fell off of me while I was asleep." He looked up at her skeptical face. "Now where's the cloak?"

"I'm still not telling you. Sorry." Sable said evilly. She shrugged her shoulders and lay back down on her bed with her back to Remus. 

"You're going to tell me where that cloak is, or else." he said.

"Or else what?" she mumbled.

"Or else, I'm going to tickle you until you scream for me to stop." he said. He leaned over the side of the bed and flipped her back onto her back, pinning her arms above her head. She was glaring at him with certain hatred.

"You wouldn't." she hissed, "Not this early in the morning."

"Oh, I won't will I?" he said. Sable saw that he meant business and tried to get away from him before the assault came. Unfortunately, he still had more strength than her due to the recent full moon. He pinned her hands above her and began tickling her sides mercilessly. Sable was trying to keep from screaming at him to stop, but it didn't last long. When he let her arms go to attack both of her sides, she started slapping at him to stop. He was the only one who knew exactly how ticklish she was, and at the moment he was using it to his advantage. She was gasping for breath and still yelling at him to stop.

"Where's the cloak at, Sable?" he asked again, momentarily pausing to ask the question.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" she asked, clutching her sides. Remus nodded and sat up, waiting for her to answer. "Fine, you sore loser. It's underneath my bed." 

"Thank you, that's all I wanted to know. Now was that so hard?" he teased.

"Very funny, Remus." she scowled. He laughed and pushed some of her hair out of her face where it had escaped from the ponytail she had put it up in before she had finally went to sleep that night.

"You know I can't get up with you on top of me." she said playfully. "You're soaking wet, by the way."

"Complaining?"

"No." she said quietly, "Just stating the obvious. But, uh, if Lily comes back in here to find out what all that yelling was for. I think she may take our current positions the wrong way." She grinned and Remus laughed. The old Sable was on her way back, and he was grateful.

"Alright, I'm leaving." he conceded. He climbed off of her bed and picked up the cloak from the floor. "We're leaving in about two hours." he reminded her.

"Okay, thanks, Remus." she said sleepily. "I'll be down in a few minutes." Remus nodded and stepped out of the portrait hole to get ready to leave.

When they had all met up in the Great Hall for breakfast, Sable realized the one reason why she hated Hogwarts, the winter storms. The wind was howling and snow was flying everywhere. It was a full blown snow storm, and it did not seem to be letting up in the least. The group quickly settled into breakfast, but was soon interrupted by Professor Dumbledore. The aged wizard was worried about the traveling conditions, and her let them know.

"Students," he said gently, "I am afraid that the train will not be able to run today do to the inclimate weather. I am afraid that I cannot allow you out of the castle. It is far to dangerous." Sable blinked and looked angry.

"But Headmaster," she protested, "I need to get back home as soon as possible."

"I realize that Ms. Robbins. However, I can not allow you to leave." Sirius looked over at James and shrugged. Then a sudden idea fill his brain.............. or at least the parts that did not center around Quidditch, food or girls.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir," he said, "if we could get to Godric's Hollow without going through the storm, would you still allow us to go?"

"How do you propose you do that, Mr. Black?" the teacher asked.

"Well, Sable lives just down the lane from me. If we could floo to my house, we could walk to hers. And I'm sure the weather is nowhere near like this at home."

"An excellent idea, Mr. Black. However there is one small problem...."

"How do we floo to your house when you can't leave the school?" Lily asked. "The floo network is not connected to the school for security reasons."

" My sentiments exactly." Dumbledore agreed. "However, if you do happen to think of an alternate path, you are welcome to go. The closest place to floo is in Hogsmeade. If you happen to find a way, or a break in the weather appears, you are free to go. Just notify me when you arrive in Godric's Hollow as I will be in my office for the next few days attending to some rather important matters at hand. I trust that you all will be okay on your own." 

"Thank you, Headmaster." Remus said, "We'll work on that."

"Very well then. Good day, children." And with that, Dumbledore left the group. As soon as he was out of earshot, Sirius turned to Remus and grinned.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he said.

"I do believe so, dear Padfoot. Let us finish our meal and we will be off."

"But the Headmaster said we can't go out into the storm." Lily said.

"We're not going to go out into the storm, Lily." James said, "If my guess is right, we will be going beneath the storm." Understanding dawned on Lily's face when she finally caught onto the underlying meaning.

They finished quickly and went back up to the dorms to get dressed. After donning coats, cloaks, hats, mittens, and sweaters, they went to the hidden passage that led out of the castle. It was hidden behind the statue of the witch on the second floor.

As they descended into the corridor, a cold and damp chill overtook them. The statue slid back into place and enclosed them in darkness. Sirius and James brought out their wands and muttered 'Lumos'. The passage was instantly bathed in the combined light of the two boy's wands. They carefully picked their way along the corridor, avoiding the puddles of water that had began to form on the dirt floor. Sirius and James led the way while Lily and Sable followed behind. Remus pulled up the rear, making sure that they were not being followed.

"It's freakin' cold down here!" Sable exclaimed as they neared the end of the path.

"Sorry, but it's the only alternate way out of the castle." James said.

"It's okay." Sable said. "I'm just freezing right now."

"Here, take this." Sirius said, pulling off one of the many cloaks he was wearing. Sable took the thick cloak and threw it on over her other clothes. The dark green material enveloped her body like a sheet. 

"Thanks, Sirius." she muttered. 

"Not a problem." he answered. "It's just a little bit further anyways." The group walked for another ten minutes before a trapdoor was seen. James climbed up the three stairs and pushed the door open, peeking above him.

"Is it clear?" Remus asked anxiously.

"Yeah, it's clear." James answered with a smile. He threw the door open and looked down to the girls.

"Ladies first......"

Sable was pushed up through the trapdoor by James and into the light of the world once again. By the time her eyes had adjusted, the boys were shutting the trapdoor again. 

"Is Honeydukes connected to the floo network?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, they are." Remus said, guiding the girls out of the storage room. The fireplace is in the front part of the store, though. Come on." They came out of the storeroom and into the main shop. Even with the weather so horrible as it was , there was still the hustle and bustle of the pre- holiday season. People were crammed shoulder to shoulder, but didn't seem to mind. When they eventually threaded their way through the crowd and over to he fireplace, Sirius grabbed the pot of floo powder and gave everyone a handful. He stepped back and threw the powder into the flames, causing them to turn green, and yelled "Black Estates". He stepped into the flames and was transported out of sight. The others followed his example. James was next, Lily, Sable, and Remus. 

The next thing any of them knew, they were on the floor of the Black mansion, a tangle of soot covered arms and legs.

"Owww, Sirius would you move your butt out of my face!" James groaned.

"Only if you move your foot out of mine!" he retorted, twisting a foot out of his eyes.

"Owwww! That's not James' foot," yelled Sable, "it's mine!!" The group continued to struggle to disentangle themselves, but it only made the problem worsen.

"Well, whoever it is up there, move!" Lily yelled, "I'm turning into a pancake down here!"

"Hey! Somebody better watch their hands!!" Sable said as she tried to wiggle out of the fracas.

"Oops, sorry." James said, "I thought that was Lily."

"James, can't you wait until later to grope Lily?" Sirius asked, once again moving someone's foot out of his face.

"Yeah, this coming from you!" Sable said. "Potter! I said watch the hands!"

"It wasn't my fault this time. I promise!" James said defensively.

"It better not have been you." Remus and Lily warned him.

"Remus dear, I love you to death," Sable said sweetly, "but would you kindly get off of me?"

"Damn, I was just getting comfortable, too." he complained. Sable grinned and shook her head.

"Really, Remus. This is the second time today you've wound up on top of me. If people knew this, they'd start talking." Sable teased.

"Twice?" James asked.

"If you know what's good for you, Prongs." Remus threatened, "Stop those thoughts right where they are?"

"Is it the truth?" Sirius prodded. Sable just rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, people will talk." she said sarcastically. 

"Let'em talk!" Remus snickered.

"Like we don't already!" Sirius squirmed. "Now get off of me!" he yelled. James was the first one out of the wreckage and he pulled Lily out from between Sable and Sirius which allowed the other three to disentangle themselves with relative ease. They all stood up and brushed themselves off. Sirius looked a little winded due to everyone sitting on top of him.

"Is everyone alright?" Lily asked. They all nodded in an affirmative.

"Uh, Sirius," Sable asked, "is there anyone in this house other than us? I figured with all of that racket we made, someone would be in here by now to see what was going on."

"Nope. My parents are working. Cassandra's gone. Aurora is with her boyfriend, and Orion is in Glasgow with Gram and Gramps."

"So none of you family is home for the holidays?" Remus asked.

"No one but the house elves. Who, consequently, should be he e in five....four....three...two...one...Now!" Sure enough, two house elves magically appeared at the doorway.

"Oh, Master Sirius is back." said the smallest one. The two creatures walked over to the assembled teens and bowed low.

"Hello Boosie. Hello Barrie." Sirius said.

"Boosie and Barrie were not told that yous was to be coming back, Master Sirius, sir." Boosie quivered. "We have not prepared for yours arrival, sir."

"It's okay, Boosie." Sirius said, "We won't be here long."

"Just over night." James said. The two elves looked up and finally noticed the other people standing in the room.

"Ohhhh, Master Sirius has brought Misters Potter and Lupin back with him." Barrie cried. "Barrie must get rooms ready for guests or master will be very, very angry." Barrie bowed low and snapped his finger, disappearing into thin air.

"Will the young misses be staying also, Master Sirius, sir?" Boosie squeaked. Sirius turned to the girls and nodded.

"Yes, Boosie. Ms. Evans and Ms. Robbins will be staying here also. Make sure that Barrie puts them in the guests rooms in the middle hallway. The ones with the balconies on them."

"Very well, Master. Boosie will have everything ready momentarily."

"Oh, don't be in a hurry, Boosie." Sable said, "We've got a few things to do this evening that may take up some time."

"Yes, miss." the elf said.

"Is there anything else Barrie or Boosie can get for sirs and misses?" the little elf quivered.

"No, I thing that will be all for now. Thank you, Boosie." Sirius said.

"Oh, it is no problem at all, kind sir." the house elf said as it scurried out of the room. The great oak doors shut softly as the tiny creature sped off to begin its work.

"Well guys," Sirius said, "it looks like we'll be spending the night here. By now, those two will have every house elf up and going." The group of friends nodded, knowing that the only ambition for a house elf was to serve its family. Sirius noted the pensive look on Sable's face and decided to distract her. "Well mates, come with me, and I'll show you where you'll be sleeping tonight." He led them up the stairs and down a mirrored hallway to the back of the mansion.

"James and Remus, you two get your normal rooms. But the ladies get their own." He opened the door at the end of the hallway and Sable's eyes widened in appreciation. The room was decorated in a beautiful color of royal blue. The queen sized canopy bed was set in the center of the room. Two sliding glass doors led out to a balcony that overlooked the woods behind the house. A large marble fireplace stood on the east side of the room.

"This is your room, Sable." Sirius said, "and Lily's is right across the hallway." He opened the other doorway to reveal an almost identical room clad in scarlet red.

"Thank you Sirius." Sable said, "It's beautiful."

"Yes, Sirius, thank you." Lily said graciously.

"Well, now that we know where everyone is sleeping for the night, I think it's time to get to work." James said.

"He's right. The sooner I get what I need from my house, the better." Sable said.

"Well then, let's get going, mates." crowed Sirius.

Sable's house was nowhere near the size of the Black's estate, but she did not care. When they entered the two story house, Sable seemed to be a little happier. She showed them around the house, pointing out her makeshift laboratory where she did her research and the huge game room, which consisted of a pool table, table tennis, pinball machine, and a few other little gadgets. The boys were immediately engrossed with the various games that had been scattered about, so Sable left them on their own, and went into her parent's bedroom.

The few things she wanted to get would not take long to find. Lily stood at the doorway, not wanting to intrude in her friend's parent's room. She knew Sable needed some time to herself, so she backed away and left her in the room with her thoughts.

Sable moved around the room with the efficiency of a house elf. She pulled a bag out of the closet and began putting stuff in it. The scents of her father's cologne mixed with her mother's perfume as she opened the closet that held their clothes. It was an overwhelming combination, but it was oddly comforting to smell something so familiar. She used to pick on them because the mixture of the cologne and perfume caused a very strong, musky scent to take over. However, this time she welcomed it. She pulled some clothing out and laid it on the bed, carefully folding each piece as she went.

Lily walked back into the game room to find James and Sirius in the middle of a violent game of table-tennis. Remus was sitting to the side, watching the game with little interest when Lily sat next to him.

"They've found the wonders of Muggle games?" she asked.

"It seems like it." Remus said. He looked around and frowned. "Where's Sable?"

"She's in her parent's room, getting some things ready." 

"Is she alright? She's not upset is she?" he asked. Lily gave him a small smile.

"Why don't you go talk to her yourself, Remus?" She said. "The rest of us can only listen when she talks; you can empathize with her."

"She doesn't want pity, Lily." Remus stated simply.

'There's a fine line between sympathy and pity, Remus. Remember that."

"I don't know what to say to her." he admitted quietly. "I'm partly, if not fully, responsible for what happened to her and her parents."

"Tell her whatever comes to mind. She needs support right now, Remus. As much as we can give her."

"But I don't want to hurt her."

"Remus, you can't hurt her even if you were under the Imperious Curse." Lily laughed. "You've been genetically programmed not to hurt anyone!"

"What??"

"Never mind." she said with a grin. "Just go talk to her, okay. She's in the last room in the middle hallway on the second floor." Remus stood up and left out of the room. He followed the stairs up to the second floor and went down the middle hallway, as Lily instructed. At the end, he could see an open door, and hear noises coming from inside. He crept up to the doorway as quietly as possible, and looked in.

Sable as rummaging through the closet and muttering to herself. She pulled out some clothes and set them next to a nearly full bag. She stepped over to the vanity and rummaged to find something else. She turned around and saw Remus standing there watching her.

"How long you been standing there?" she asked.

"Long enough to hear you talking to yourself." he answered.

"That could have been for the last half hour." she admitted.

"Nah, just the past two minutes." he answered. Sable gave a little grin and turned back towards the suitcase. Remus just stood there. "You almost done packing?" he asked.

"Almost, I'm just missing something that's in my room." she said. "After that I'll be done." She stepped past Remus and began walking down the hallway. He followed her silently. They stopped in front of a door and Sable opened it to reveal her own bedroom. It was a clash of the Gryffindor gold and red colors and the blue and green of her Salem House. He followed her into the room and looked around. There were pictures plastered all over the walls. Pictures of her parents, family, her, even pictures of them in fourth year when she was still at Hogwarts. They were pasted onto the wall to make it look like one huge collage. While she searched through her vanity for something, Remus inspected the pictures carefully. Some of the were of people he didn't recognize, and one of the boys in many of the pictures looked eerily similar to him.

"Who are all of these people?" he asked. Sable turned and grinned.

"They're the few friends of mine from Salem." she said. "That's Brittany, Kris, Michael Karri, Chad, and Tricia." she explained as she pointed each one out.

"And who is that?" he asked, pointing to the American equivalent of himself. Sable rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"That is that very annoying asshole named David. We were close for a while, but , uh, lets just say we found out some stuff about each other and we're not so close anymore." she turned around and shook her head.

"He cheated on you?" Remus asked, amazed that anyone would even think about cheating on her. Sable nodded, but said nothing. "Why'd he do that?" Remus could come up with no reason this David should cheat on Sable, but something obviously went wrong. And he wanted to know what had happened. She had spoken very little of him since she had come back to Hogwarts, and he wanted to know why.

"I don't know Remus, maybe you could ask him the next time you see him. Cause I'd sure like to know why." she said.

"You mean to tell me that he broke up with you, and didn't give you a reason as to why?"

"He didn't need to." Sable answered quietly. 

"Well, what happened?" 

"You see, when I enrolled in Salem, I earned the title of cold-hearted bitch. David was in a rival House, and I tended to stay away from him for numerous reasons. To make a long story short, we wound up together by some stroke of fate's hand. But it didn't last long. During one of our little late night rendezvouses I , uh, said some stuff I didn't mean to. And so did he. Well, the next time we met again, after his House had won a Quidditch game, his attitude had changed towards me. I believe his words were 'put out or get out, bitch'. So, I left him standing there. Come to find out, he had been sleeping around with one of the girls from his own House the whole time he was with me." She shrugged and pulled one of the pictures off of the wall and crumbled it up to throw in a dustbin. " I don't even know why I kept the pictures actually."

That was a blatant lie on her part. She had kept them because he had favored Remus so much, and she could not seem to part with the only real likeness she had of the boy from Hogwarts.

Remus was more than a little surprised at her, but now he knew the answers to some of his questions. He hugged her tightly as a way of reassurance. There were still some unanswered questions in his mind, but he was about to get the answers from her.

"Do you miss him?" he asked quietly.

"Not when I'm with you....and the others of course." she said quickly. Remus just stood there with her in his arms, cursing that David character for all he was worth. He felt Sable shudder and hot tears soak through his shirt. She was crying, he realized, and hard.

"Sable, what's wrong?" he asked. "What'd I do?"

"You didn't do anything, Remus." she said, wiping away the tears. "I'm just stressed out over all of this mess. I'm worried about my mom and dad. I'm afraid one of you are going to get hurt because of me. And the worst thing of all is that I'm scared to be alone." She looked up at him with teary eyes. "I've never been afraid to be alone, or by myself. Last night, I could hardly sleep. In the period of two days, I'm losing my mind, and it's scaring me. I don't want to be alone, but don't want to hurt anyone in the process. So what do I do?"

She sat down on her bed and hugged herself, rocking back and forth. Remus sat down next to her and pulled her in for another hug.

"You're not losing your mind, Sable. You're acting like a human being."

"But I'm not a human." she whispered. "I'm an animal." Remus was a little shocked to hear her say this.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Ms. Robbins," he said, "but I think I specifically remember some one telling me that it didn't matter what happened once a month, because I was human the other twenty-nine days of the month." he said.

"I'm surprised you remember that, considering what was going on at the time I told you that." she laughed. "We were both running on hormones that night."

"Well, I'm a firm believer that things said while in the middle of emotional throws hold more truth than any other times."

"Why's that?" she asked. Remus smiled and shook his head.

"Because you usually don't have the mental capabilities to formulate a decent, plausible lie in time to convince anyone." Sable grinned at him as her mind drifted off to the night before the full moon in November when she had bodily drug him out of the Gryffindor Common Room to keep him from snapping at anyone else.

**_Flashback**_

It had been two days since the Halloween Ball, and the coming full moon had both Sable and Remus on edge. After he had snapped at some of the younger kids she had tutored, then had a row with lily, Sable had decided it would be prudent to keep him away from the student population the next day, just in case someone decided to push his buttons. So, she had cornered him Thursday night and drug him down to her lab, away from everyone else. After convincing him to go to Hogsmeade the next day, they had changed clothes and climbed into her bed. She had though they would both be able to get some sleep easier this way. It did not work out like that, though.

Sable had been woken up by the soft caresses on her stomach. _Knowing that Remus was probably just dreaming again, she had pushed it off as nothing important and tried to go back to sleep. Even since he had been staying with her the closer the full moons got, he would often times wake her by pulling her tight against him or rubbing her sides in his sleep. All was fine for a while, and the soft touches were slowly lulling her back into sleep. She suddenly felt her hair being swept over her shoulder, and little kisses being placed on her neck._

"Remus." she questioned quietly. "Are you awake?"

"Ummmhmmm." he said, kissing her neck again. Sable shivered as a wave of pleasure coursed through her with the contact. Rolling over to her side she came face to face with her boyfriend.

"What's wrong, love?" she asked 

"Couldn't sleep." he said, pulling her closer to him and playing with her hair.

"So you decided to wake me up too?" she teased, pinching his arm gently. He jerked back and grinned at her. Sable knew that look he gave her and she smiled. He wanted to play. "What's wrong, Remus?" she cajoled. "Puppy wanna play now that he's had a nap, hmm?" Remus raised his eyes at the obvious taint and pinned her arms to her side.

"I'm no innocent puppy, Sable." he growled playfully.

"Really? Then what are you?" she asked. He bent down and gave her a lingering kiss that instantly made them both realize they were not going to be getting back to sleep anytime soon.

"I'm a vicious, hideous monster who only lives ton the most basic of instincts." he said, nuzzling her neck. 

"And what are those instincts telling you now, Remus?" she asked after a few minutes. He chuckled and let her arms go.

"You sure you want to know, love?" he asked.

"I think I have an idea already, but tell me anyways." _she teased him._

"Well, right now, I want to shag you senseless until you can't tell left from right and keep on going until you scream loud enough for McGonagall to hear us." he said huskily, nipping at her neck and shoulders. Sable gave a half grin and threaded her fingers through his hair. 

"Well, sorry to disappoint you love, but you're not getting that lucky, not right now at least." she said. He looked at her and gave a sad smile.

"I know. But it's always good to keep the vicious monster believing he might one day." He pulled away from her and sat up in the bed. Sable, sensing his distress, sat up and grabbed her wand, casting the room in a light reminiscent of pre-dawn. She looked over at him and frowned. He seemed so tired and dejected, and she quickly thought it was her fault.'

"Remus...I'm sorry, it's not because you...." she trailed off, and suddenly got angry. "You are not a monster, Remus Lupin! You are human twenty nine out of thirty days a month, what happens one night shouldn't rule who you are the rest of the time!" He gave her a smile and shushed her. 

"I know." he said. "It's just the wolf in me talking."

"Is there anything else I can do?" she asked, shifting to sit next to him. He grinned and pulled her into his lap, her legs on each side of his hips.

"Just stay with me. Don't leave me." 

"Now that...I can do." she said happily, hugging him tight against her. Remus relaxed and played with the strands of silky hair for a while before breaking the silence.

"Sable?"

"Yeah."

"I think....I think I'm falling in love with you." he whispered. Sable tensed and looked up at him, an unreadable expression on her face.

"I think you are speaking while severely under the influence." she teased him. He grinned, knowing she was referring to the rush of hormones they were both at the mercy of now. 

"Be that as it may," he said. "I know what I'm feeling right now."

"So I finally got out of the box labeled 'friends only'?" she asked with a smile.

"You've been out of that for a long time." he said. And almost as if to prove it, he kissed her so hard, she was seeing stars when he finally let her go. When she recovered, she smirked at him.

"Good, cause if you ever kissed Lily like that, and I found out, you'd have Hell to pay, buddy."

"That's only if James didn't kill me first." They laughed and disentangled themselves from each other, intention going back to sleep. When Sable felt his arms around her waits, she smiled. 

"Remus?" she said sleepily.

"Hmm?" he asked. She could tell he was almost asleep.

"I love you too." 

**Flashback End**

"So was everything you told me that night the truth?" she asked.

"Every bit of it." he answered honestly. "You?" Sable nodded and smiled up at him.

"Everything I said, I stand by it." She answered truthfully. Remus smiled and pulled her closer to him, mostly as a reassurance that she was still there and he was hearing her right. "Lean on me. I'll be here when ever you need me to be." he whispered.

"Thank you, Remus. Thank you so much." she murmured sleepily. "For everything."

"You tired?"

"A little bit. You're snoring kept me up most of the night last night." she said.

"Lie down and take a nap. You need some rest since I know you're still recovering from the transformation the other night.

"Will you... will you stay in here until I go to sleep. I don't want to be by myself." she said quietly. Remus nodded and pulled her down to the bed. She curled up into him and was asleep in minutes. He listened to her even breathing and soon felt himself slipping into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

Sirius and James had finished their game of table top tennis with Lily refereeing. As they left the room James noticed the absence of Remus and Sable.

"Where are the other two at?" he asked Lily.

"She was packing some stuff up and Remus went to check on her." Lily said.

"How long ago?" Sirius asked.

"About thirty-five minutes ago." Lily said, frowning and looking at her watch. "I'm getting worried. She said she was almost done."

"Think we need to go make sure they're okay?" James asked.

"Nah, they're big boys and girls, they'll be okay." Sirius said.

"But the Headmaster said that we should stick together." James reminded them. "We should make sure they're still here."

"Your going to walk in on something you'd rather not see. I'm telling you." Sirius said, a grin on his face.

"Look, Sirius." Lily said. "I really could care less what they're doing right now. As long as I can make sure that they're still alive and breathing, they could be torturing Sanpe right now and I wouldn't care." She stormed out of the room and was halfway up the stairs before the two guys ever regained their composure to talk.

"I didn't realize Lily could be so blunt." Sirius said.

"Yeah, well, she'll surprise you sometimes. Heck, we've been together going into a year and a half, and she still surprises me!" James cried. Sirius just shook his head and took out after her.

Minutes later, they found Remus and Sable curled upon her bed, sleeping. Lily smiled and pulled the door shut.

"Let them sleep. They've had a rough few days. We can find something to keep ourselves occupied for a few hours." she said.

"Like what?" Sirius asked. Lily smiled evilly and grinned at the two. Unlike them, she had a working knowledge of Muggle games. And right now, she intended to show them up a little. _'I'll show them that I might not be the best Quidditch player in the world, but I can still beat them.'_ she thought.

"You guys ever played billiards before?"

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A/N - Remember to review. I want to know what everyone thinks.

Later,

A.A.


	37. Chapter 37

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Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was.

A/N - Okay, this is the last chappy for a few days, until I can get the next few written. I'll get back to you guys later.

Bye,

A.A.

Awakening

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Sable had just finished packing the last few clothing items she would need and was turning down the hallway in her house that led to the kitchen when she heard a scream come from the living room. Not knowing what was happening, she turned around and began sprinting to the other end of the house. Random thought began passing through her mind. Thoughts of an attack on the house was most prevalent. But she reasoned that Dumbledore had set up enough protection barriers to keep them safe. But it wasn't enough apparently. As she turned the corner, she saw a black hooded figure pick up James by the throat and throw him against the wall. His body slumped to the floor and became completely limp as blood began to flow out of his mouth.

"Sable!!!!" yelled Remus from somewhere behind her, "GET OUT OF HERE!!! VOLDEMORT'S SENT DEATH EATERS TO KIDNAP YOU!!!! GET OUT NOW!!!" Sable looked around and saw that Sirius was lying on the couch in a pool of blood, and she froze to the spot. She noticed that Lily was crouched next to James, trying to wake him up, but failing. The Head Girl looked close to death herself. The closest Death Eater pointed his wand at her and began muttering an incantation. She felt herself fly out from in front of the curse and land on the floor. The curse never hit. On top of her lay the beaten form of Remus Lupin. 

"Remus, what's going on here?" she asked, scared. His face was bloody and there were bruises starting to form on his arms.

"Sable, I don't know. But you've got to get out of here!" he rasped. "They've come to take you to Voldemort."

"But I won't go." she said. "I'm not leaving you guys here to die!" 

"I know you don't want to." he said, pushing himself up off of the floor, "But I would rather see you alive and living the life of a death eater, than dead because I couldn't protect you." Sable saw the blood that had stained his t-shirt from the cuts and gashes he had receive.

"Remus, if I ever was a Death Eater, I would be dead." she said sadly. She felt herself being yanked forcefully up from the floor and threw towards the door. The tallest of the two death eaters grabbed Remus and threw him to the ground, taking advantage of his weakened state and taking his wand in the process. Sable's hands were quickly bound and she was pushed out of the way. The other cloaked figure looked around at the bloody forms and laughed a cruel high laugh. 

"I hope you like what we have done to your friends, Sable." he smirked. "Because this is exactly what is going to happen to you if we don't get some cooperation out of you soon."

"You wouldn't touch me." she stated venomously. "Voldemort wants me in one piece and unharmed. You leave so much as a mark on me, and let him see it, and you'll wish you'd had the Crucatious Curse put on you!!" The Death Eater lowered his hood and she was not really surprised to see Severus Snape standing in front of her.

"Ah, yes. I'd forgotten how much of a sassy little bitch you can be." he said, "The Master does want you in one piece. However, he didn't say that the same principle applied to this rag tag bunch." Snape walked over to Remus and kicked him hard in the ribs. Remus looked up nodded gravely to her, mouthing the words 'I love you.' to her.

"Say goodbye to your little boyfriend." he said. "I never did like this bunch. They were all much below my station; except for you, of course." Sable struggled against her captor, but was not strong enough to escape. 

"Leave'em alone Snape!!" she screamed. "They've done nothing to you!"

"They've made my job much more harder than needed." he said. "Besides, the Master said not to leave any witnesses. And I intend to finish my job. As you know, I am very thorough in my work." He pulled his wand out and prepared to cast a spell. Sable was completely distraught. She pulled and pulled, trying to free herself from the other man. 

"Hold still little lassie," he chuckled. "I think you may actually enjoy the show. I know I will." 

"You sick bastards." she spat. "How could you do this to people?"

"Easy." Snape said. "Like this." He muttered a curse and a green light flashed in the room, forcing her to try and shield her eyes. The twin laughs of cruelty rang through the room as Sable began to understand the price her friends had just paid for her.

******************************************************************************

Sable jerked awake as the green light exploded in her head. She quickly sat up in her bed and stared around to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Her head was covered in beads of sweat and her breathing was labored, if not forced at times. She laid her hand over her heart and noticed the rapid, but constant, thudding sound. _'Well, at least I'm not dead.'_ she thought cynically. She looked around the room and noticed that evening was drawing to a close. The sun would be setting in about a half hour, and it would be dark. The darkness was already beginning to overtake her room.

"Are you alright?" came the soft voice of Remus. Sable looked to her right and blinked, confused.

"You're still here?" she asked, surprised. He only nodded and grinned.

"I fell asleep." he said sheepishly. "Are you alright? What happened? You just started moaning and groaning in your sleep. I thought you were sick or something." Sable shook her head and frowned.

"Bad dream." she said simply. Remus nodded and looked around, trying to find something to calm her down. "Oh, God!" she said, "Remus, what time is it?"

"It's about seven in the evening. Why?" he asked.

"Where's everyone else at?" She asked, searching the room for any signs of the others. She noticed that her door had been shut. _'Oh God, I hope they're alright!!'_ she thought. Remus noticed that she was getting even more upset. 

"Hey, calm down." he said. "They're probably downstairs in the game room." Sable jumped out of her bed and went to the door. Remus followed and was soon down the stairs. "Slow down, Sable!" he said, "They are fine. Dumbledore had barriers put around your house by the Ministry. If anything or anyone other than us tries to get in, we'll know." Sable seemed to realize that there really was no point in arguing, since he was right. She slowed her descent on the stairs and waited for Remus to catch up. They finished coming down that stairs and turned the corner that led into the kitchen.

Lily was sitting at the kitchen table with Sirius and James. The boys were sitting in front of a large plate of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, devouring them at a rate that Sable thought was completely inhumane. She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen.

"You're not hungry, are you guys?" she asked sweetly. Lily looked up and grinned. The boys only nodded and continued to eat. "I'll take that as a yes." 

"How long have we been asleep?" Remus asked, stifling a huge yawn. 

"About four hours." Lily said. She got up from the chair and went to the refrigerator, pulling out a pitcher of water. "I hope you don't mind us scrounging around for something to eat, Sable." she said. "The boys were hungry and we didn't want to leave you and Remus here by yourselves." Sable shook her head and shrugged.

"Nah, you're welcome to it." she said, grabbing a sandwich off of the plate. "Of course there probably isn't much to choose from."

"It's okay." Sirius said through a mouthful of sandwich, "If there is food around, we'll find it." 

"Yeah, that's one of the normalities in life." Remus chuckled. "If there is food, Sirius and James will find it." Lily shook her head.

"Hey, we're growing boys." James said, munching on a mouth full of food. Lily shook her head and frowned.

"Yeah, growing boys with no manners." she said. "James, chew your food up before you speak. It's disgusting to see pieces of half masticated bread coming out of your mouth when you speak." Sirius looked confused and James only shook his head.

"Pieces of what kind of bread?" they asked. Sable rolled her eyes and put a hand on the shoulders of the boys.

"Don't worry about it, boys." she said sweetly. "Just mind your manners and momma Lily won't correct you again." The boys seemed to cheer up and Sable grinned at Lily. Remus had sat down and grabbed a couple of sandwiches and was now in the process of eating like the other two. Sable and Lily walked into the living room and sat down in chairs.

"Have you finished packing what you needed?" Lily asked. Sable nodded and looked out the window.

"Yeah, I'm finished." she said quietly. " There was only a few things I wanted to get anyways. I finished packing them and went into my room to get something. Remus and I got into a discussion about old times and we both wound up asleep." Lily only smiled in understanding.

"Well, we let you guys sleep. I think you both needed it."

"You're right, we did." she said. "Or, at least I did. I don't know about Remus."

"It didn't hurt him. I promise. He's been worried sick about you since everything happened. It did him some good to get some rest." The two girls smiled and turned to hear the crashing of cups in the kitchen. Sable jumped up and ran back in. She found Remus sitting at the table, finishing his food and James and Sirius rummaging through the cabinets.

"What are you looking for?" Sable asked.

"Cups." they answered. Lily walked in and laughed.

"Have you tried looking on the floor?" she asked. There was half a dozen broken cups littering the floor at Sirius' feet. 

"Ooops." He said. Lily grabbed a broom out of the corner and swept the broken glass up off of the floor. When she had finished, she turned to the boys.

"So, are we ready to get back to Sirius' place?" she asked. Everyone nodded and stood up, ready to go. 

"Hold on a second. Let me go get my suitcase." Sable said, running up the stairways. She walked up to her parent's room and grabbed the suitcase. She drug it down the stairs and plopped it onto the floor. "Ready." she said. They left out of the house, Sable locking the door behind them and hiding the key under the rug outside the house. James noticed this and smirked.

"Real original, Sable." he said. "Hiding it under the door mat." Sable just shrugged and smiled. 

"Hey, use what works." was all she said before stepping down from the steps and heading for Sirius' house down the road.

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That evening flew by in a blur for Sable. When they made it back to Sirius' house, dinner was ready and waiting for them. They ate and took showers before settling down for the night. Sable and Lily were sharing a bathroom, and Sable was the last one to take a shower. As she came into the lavish bedroom, she noticed that it was starting to snow outside. _'Guess the bad weather decided to follow us.'_ she thought. She toweled off her hair and dried it with a spell. Putting on her warm pajamas that consisted of a long sleeved blue flanneled shirt and matching pants, she went outside onto the balcony. Her thoughts had turned to her friends and family this evening after she awoke from that horrible dream, and she needed some time alone. She cast a lighting charm and watched as small orbs of white light began to float to the four corners of the little balcony, bathing it in a soft glow. It was cold outside and she quickly went back in to put on some slippers and grab a blanket and a book she had been reading. She sat down on the chair and looked out over the grounds of the Black Estates one last time before turning back to her book. 

Remus went to find Sirius after finishing his shower and putting on his clothes. He found his dark haired friend crouched over a box of gadgets in his room Remus entered and sat down beside him.

"What you got there, Sirius?" he asked. Sirius beamed and pulled out a handful of fireworks. 

"They're a new type of_ Filibuster Fireworks_." he grinned. "Guaranteed to scare the living daylights out of anyone within a hundred meter radius of the explosion." Remus looked a little dubious, but said nothing. He could tell that the little wheels in Sirius' mind was reeling with the unexpected work of figuring out a plan to use the new pranking devices. When he got like this, it was impossible to get him to talk about anything else. Remus did not feel like getting caught up in a plan to prank the other Houses. _'Not now, anyways.'_ He exited the room and walked down the hallway to where Sable and Lily's rooms were. 

He walked up to the door to Sable's room and knocked. No answer. _'Where is she at?'_ He tried the doorknob and found that it was unlocked. He needed to talk to her, and now was as good a time as ever. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, feeling as though he was intruding into her space, even though it was Sirius' house. He did a quick glance around the room and noted that she was not near. He was about to go look for her when he heard a noise from the balcony. It was Sable's voice. He quietly walked over to the sliding glass doors and pulled the tapestry back. She was sitting on a chair, wrapped up in a blanket and reading some book. He pulled the glass doors back and walked out onto the balcony. 

Sable said nothing since she already knew who it was. The heightened senses still hadn't gone away yet. She continued to read her book. As she came to a familiar passage, she read it aloud.

__

"The emergence of this concealed, basic wildness is the theme of the book: the struggle between Ralph, the representative of civilizations with his parliaments and his brain trust (Piggy, the intellectual whose shattering spectacles mark the progressive decay of rational influence as the story progresses), and Jack, in whom the spark of wildness burns hotter and closer to the surface than in Ralph and who is the leader of the forces of anarchy on the island, is also, of course, the struggle in modern society between those same forces translated onto a worldwide scale." William Goldstein on his novel, _Lord of the Flies_

She turned to face Remus with a sad expression on her face. 

"Goldstein was right, you know. He hit closer to home than he realized." she said sadly, closing the book and looking out over the grounds. Remus stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. 

"How so." he asked.

"Our world is broken, Remus. Broken into pieces. I have a feeling that our world, the wizarding world, is about to begin a struggle that will last for many years to come. Pretty soon, there will be an all out war between the good and evil sides of the world........of our world." Remus blanched and pulled up a chair to sit beside her. He didn't know what had put her into such a melancholy mood, but it must have been serious.

"Don't talk like that, Sable." he said, taking her hand, "Nothing is going to happen to us." Sable just shook her head.

"It's already started, Remus. Stop and look." she said quietly. "The struggle between Good and Evil has begun. People like Ralph, Dumbledore and McGonagall for instance, will lead the Good. While this mysterious wizard who calls himself Voldemort will lead the Evil. Like Jack in this book, Voldemort is the force of anarchy. The one who will rebel and try to make a gathering of sadistic, blood thirty savages to do his bidding. The decay of our society into chaos and uncertainty is slowly progressing with each attack on a Muggle or a wizard . The drive for power will keep this Voldemort going for a long time." She looked over to Remus through her bleary eyes. "What can we do to stop it, Remus?" She turned from him and wrapped herself tighter into her blanket, trying to fend off the cold that had seeped through.

"Sable, Goldstein understood human nature when he wrote _Lord of the Flies_." he reminded her. "He knew that people get power hungry and strive to be the best. He realized that ambition can be a useful trait. But he also realized that it can be a burden. In the end, those who rebelled see the light, and the error of their ways. They are rescued from their island Hell by the cruiser. Even Goldstein knew that Good will ultimately triumph and save the ones who are strong and stand up for what they believe in. The ones who will not back down from a fight will be rewarded in the end, no matter how long it may take."

"But at what costs, Remus?" she asked, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped her eyes. "How many people must die before Good triumphs? How many good people will give up their lives to protect the morals and values that they believe in, the people they love?" Remus realized then and there that she was not talking about society as a whole. She was talking about losing her parents.

"Your not going to lose your parents, Sable." he said. "They are in good hands. The doctor knows what he is doing, and they are safe in St. Mungos." 

"I know that." she said. "But I'm not worried so much about them anymore. I'm worried about us." 

"I don't understand." he said slowly.

"Remus, because of what you and I are. We are prime targets for Death Eaters, especially me. The attack on us a few days ago should be enough to prove that."

"You mean the lycanthropy."

"Yes. Werewolves are still considered creatures of the Dark side. And I see no way of changing that opinion in the near future."

"I still don't understand." he said slowly. He was afraid that she was about to go over the deep end of something. She never talked like this, and he did not like what he was hearing.

"Remus," she said slowly, "I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me. You, Sirius, and James nearly got torn to pieces because of something that should have never concerned you. Dumbledore can't protect me for the rest of my life. If I was gone from Hogwarts, there would be one less reason for the Death Eaters to be near the school." Remus jumped up from his seat and stared blankly at her.

"You did not just say that!" he said violently, realizing she was talking about leaving. "You are not leaving us!!"

"Remus, I don't want to see any of you hurt. They are after me, not the rest of you." she pleaded, trying to make him see reason. 

"That doesn't matter! You can't leave us!" he said loudly. "You'll be in more danger away from us than when you're with us."

"I'm putting everyone else at that school in danger by being there." she said quietly.

"Sable, please. Don't do this." he pleaded. "There has got to be another way."

"This is the only other way, Remus." she conceded, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I've thought of everything possible; I don't know of anything else."

"So your just going to get up and leave?" he asked sarcastically. His anger was starting to mount, and it was obvious. He was getting scared that she would actually leave them again. Sable nodded. "Even after what you said about us this evening before you fell asleep in your room, next to me. After we both admitted to what we said to each other a month ago. Your just going to give everything up and run. Leave everyone, even me?" Sable shook her head in frustration.

"Remus, I don't want to take a chance............." she began, but he interrupted her.

"Sable, don't you understand that life is nothing but a chance." he said. He pulled her up from the chair and hugged her. "Every time you step out of your house, you take a chance. You never know when you will take your last breath, so be happy while you can. Life is too short to spend it alone and unhappy, you know that as well as I do. Everyone will die; that is unavoidable. But, to me, it's better to have lived a life with people who love and respect you than to spend it cowering behind fears. You took a chance with the Marauders when you first met us seven years ago. I am not about to back down when you need me the most. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" She nodded in defeat. There really was no hole in his logic. She wasn't going to win this fight, and she knew it. _'Besides, I don't think I could ever really leave them. Not again.'_ she thought. 

"Yeah, I think I do." she muttered. "Basically, I'm in over my head. Right?"

"More than you know."

"So does this mean I need to cancel those plane tickets to America I had on order for after the holidays?" she asked with a grin. Remus smiled at her.

"If you don't, then I am." he said. "And if you don't, do you honestly think I wouldn't go to the States and drag you back here?"

"I wouldn't put it past you." she grinned. She turned and grabbed her wand from the table. With a swish, the little orbs of light disappeared and darkness covered the balcony. She grabbed Remus' hand and led him back into the warm confines of her bedroom. She deposited her blanket and book on the bed and shut the glass doors. Remus sat down on the big four poster bed and held his arms out to her. She smiled and sat down next to him, returning the warm embrace. They stayed like that for a while, before Remus decided that it was time to sleep. He got up from the bed and Sable looked up to him.

"Don't go, Remus." she asked. "Stay here with me, please."

"Sable, are you sure that's a good idea." he questioned. "This is Sirius' house after all." Sable shrugged and grinned.

"You're the one that said let'em talk." she teased. "And it probably is not a good idea. But it makes me feel better. It's easier to go to sleep when someone's with me. Makes me feel safer." Remus grinned and went back to her.

"Then that's a good enough reason for me." They climbed into the big bed and were soon asleep again, holding onto each other for dear life for the second time that day.

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A/N - Okay, fluffy little moment there at the end, but I couldn't help it. It kind of wrote itself. 

Anyway, please remember to review. I want to know what you guys are thinking. 

The next few chapters should be out in a few days. So, until then,

Later,

A.A.

Oh, and I don't own the rights to the book Lord of the Flies. That belongs to whatever company published it.


	38. Chapter 38

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Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was. 

A/N- Finally!!! I got this thing back to where it was before it got kicked off of ff.net. Anyhow, here is the next chapter for you guys. Thanks for being so patient with me. Later.

Chapter 38

The rest of the month passed rather smoothly for the group. After arriving back at Hogwarts the next day, Sable felt like she had been put under house arrest. Everywhere she went, there was always someone with her, be it Remus, Lily or James. The biggest relief came when she had finally managed to get her parent's personal belongings back to the hospital, and the whole lot of them had allowed her some alone time with her still unconscious parents. 

After that, things seemed to get to normal, minus the fact that Sable was worried sick about her mom and dad. More than one time, Remus had caught her wandering aimlessly through the castle halls after giving her ever present company the slip. During these times, Remus would only follow her, never interrupting her for anything. Just like everyone else, he wanted her to get better, and in order for her to do that, she needed some time to herself to digest everything that had happened. So, he would only follow her on the times he caught her wandering around, just to make sure that she would be okay. 

The only time he ever showed himself was if she started crying. And that had only happened twice, once up in the Northern Tower, and once down by the lake, both in the dead of night. The first night, she had slipped out of her room, and went up to the North Tower. Remus, who had been returning from a prank, had seen her pass in the hallway, but he had not seen her due to him wearing James' invisibility cloak. He had taken off after her, following her until she got to the top of the tower. Sable had said nothing, only conjured up a blanket and sat down to stare at the stars above her. Remus had thought she had fallen asleep when he picked up the soft trembling in her breaths and the slight shaking of her shoulders from the crying. Remus, not wanting her to think she was alone, had pulled the cloak off and sat down next to her, never saying a word. Sable had said nothing, but cried like a child into his shoulder, looking for reassurances that everything was going to work itself out. They had not spoken a word the whole time, seemingly able to communicate their feelings without words. The same thing had happened down by the lake a few days later. And both times, Remus had taken her back to her room and stayed with her until she had fallen asleep. He knew that until her parents woke up, her most solid form of support would come from her friends, and he was willing to do what he could to help her, knowing she would do the same for him if he was ever in her position.

Most people steered clear of her after Dumbledore had announced that there had been an attack on her parents. Of course, since there were not many students left at Hogwarts for the holidays, she was left alone with the Marauders, and the ever present Arabella Figg who had demanded that Sirius and the others let her into the Gryffindor Common Room in order to spend some time with the depressed girl. Arabella and Lily always seemed to know what Sable was thinking, and it amazed Remus that they could calm her down and get her to feeling better when even he couldn't. Sirius had only shrugged and nodded towards them.

"It's some freaky girl thing." he said. "I still haven't figured it out yet. But it works, so don't complain."

Sable had also spoken with Dumbledore to a great extent after they had returned from Godric's Hollow, and he had allowed her to visit her parents at St. Mungo's as she felt the need to, as long as there was a teacher accompanying her. Luckily, she never had a problem finding a teacher willing to help her, seeing as Treble and McGonagall were more than willing to help out when asked. Remus also always made sure he was with her during the trips, seeing as how he'd had a hand in everything. Most of the time, Sirius, James, and Lily were with them as well. Even Arabella had been a pillar of support for the girl during the final long weeks of December. But Remus still felt guilty for the attack on her parents, especially her mother. He knew he was responsible for most of the damage to her mother, and he seriously regretted his part in the whole mess. But had he not acted when he did, he knew that both he and Sable would have been killed or captured. The rest of the Marauders seemed to understand this, and tried to lighten the mood around both of them whenever possible.

The only reprieve came from the crazy antics of Sirius and James when they got into one of their wacky moods, or when Sirius and Arabella got into one of their spats about something insignificant, that they could not remember what they were fighting for to begin with by the time the argument was over. The girls had even drug her out to Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to do some Christmas shopping while they were out one day, but not even that seemed to help her. Remus had done everything he could to help her feel better. But no matter what he done, he knew that she would never fully recover until her parents were well and awake. 

The real problem was Sable, herself. It seemed the closer it came to Christmas, the more she wanted to be with her parents. Even Christmas morning, when Remus met her in her room that was next to Lily's, she looked down trodden and thoroughly depressed. However, as the day progressed, things slowly began to look up. After eating breakfast that morning, the entire group, including Arabella, had congregated in the Head's common room to open and exchange presents.

Sable's gift had been wonderful. Clothes from Lily. Candy and pranks from Sirius. A leather journal and quill set from Bella. A new set of Potion books from Amanda. Gift certificates to Gladrags and Flourish and Blotts form James and Peter. She had even gotten a little charm bracelet with Snitches, Bludgers, two Beater's bats, and a Quaffle on it from little Thomas and some of the other little kids. Her gift from Remus though, had taken her breath away.

The jewelry box he had been working on had been absolutely beautiful. The outside of the box was a pale ivory color, with the lunar phases carved onto the sides of it. When she opened the lid, there was a dark blue velvet-like material along the bottom and sides. In the center, being held up by a charm was a single yellow rose about the size of a lollipop, and behind it, the place where he put the picture of them.. The little flower slowly rotated on it's tip as the music played from the inside the box. It really was a beautiful box, and Remus knew she had loved it, but her expression once she opened the box and found the picture inside of it had made his day, and gave him hope that the old Sable would soon be back with him.

The picture was that of Remus and Sable sitting under the willow tree by the lake. Remus had charmed it to resemble a holographic type picture that would morph into a scene of two wolves sitting on a hill, the full moon behind time, and shadows cast all around the ground from the over spill of moonlight. To each side of the full moon, a picture of each of them hung in the holographic clouds, Remus on the left, and Sable on the right. 

Sable had almost cried when Remus explained that the box and the picture was the reason he had been running off the last few weeks of school. When they had finished exchanging gifts, Sable had excused herself and went to dress for her trip to St. Mungo's. Remus had went with her that day, spending an hour or so at the hospital before returning to school.

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As the days rolled by, Sable once again began brewing the Wolf's Bane Potion, this time down in the dungeons under the watchful eye of Professor Treble and one of the Marauders. The Slytherin Potion's Master knew of Sable's success with the potion and decided to send another sample of it for verification to the Ministry, hoping they would approve it and allow it to be mass produced as an aide to lycanthropic people everywhere. Along with the sample, he sent a copy of the manuscripts, notes, and journal she had kept during the experimentation process. Sable had told him that Dumbledore had already sent the information one time, but they had never received word of an answer from the Ministry. Treble had only shrugged and said that they would try it again. 

Now that she was working on her potions again, her demeanor changed a little. She was not as depressed all the time, and she actually seemed to have more energy during the day. Of course, when she was not at the hospital with her parents, or with the other Marauders, Lily, or Arabella, she was down in the dungeons working with Treble. None of her friends particularly like that arrangement due to the fact that Snape and Flint were still at school during the break, especially Remus. His only consolation was that Treble stayed near the girl anytime she descended into the dungeons without someone with her. Sure, they all suspected that Slytherin housed some Death Eaters other than Avery, but Remus knew that Dumbledore would not allow a teacher to harm the students, so Treble had his full trust as far as Sable was concerned.

Snape, on the other hand, was angrier than he had ever been. The night of the attack, he and Lucius had been in charge of capturing the girl and bringing her to Voldemort. They had failed, and paid for it miserably. They had lost the parents, as well, which had only incised Voldemort all the more. The evil wizard had held them both, as well as flint, under the Cruicatus until they thought they would die of the immense pain. Snape and flint had arrived back to the Slytherin Common room that night, after the meeting, half dead and black and blue from the reprimand they had endured. Snape had no doubt in his mind that had Voldemort had more spies stationed within Hogwarts' walls, he and Flint would be dead by now. Voldemort had been just that angry with them.

But what bothered Snape the most of all was the feeling of guilt he had concerning his part in the failed kidnapping That night, when they had been ordered to bring the girl to Voldemort, he had not disagreed. But when he had knocked Lupin unconscious, and Sable had held the wolf to her in such a comforting manner……

When he had seen the spark of anger and betrayal in her eyes when Malfoy had said that they had an informant who had told them her ever move……

The flames of anger and dawning of reason when they told her the set up in the clearing with Remus and Sedera had been staged, and she figured out how they had pulled it off with Polyjuice Potion…

The frightening fear of his own impending death as he watched her change into her own wolf form, brimstone flaring in here eyes from her anger…

It was right then, at that specific second, that Snape realized exactly how deep her passion for life ran. It was in that moment that he had felt ashamed for trying to capture and break such a wild and beautiful creature. He realized going after Lupin and Sable's parents had probably sealed his fate as a dead man, and Sable would be the executioner if she ever found out. And it was then that he realized he admired the beautiful girl for her grit and courage to stand up and fight for her life, and the lives of the ones she loved. 

That instant was when he blinding loyalty to Voldemort began to fade and waiver.

Now, anytime he would come within hexing range of Lily, Sable, Arabella, or any of the Marauders, he made it a point to get the Hell away from them. Dumbledore's announcement the morning after the attack had been tempered with a warning not to wander into the forest. Snape knew that the only people who knew what had truly happened that night were Black, Potter, Lupin, Sable, Lily, Lucius, the Dark Lord, and himself. He even doubted that Dumbledore had elaborated when telling the rest of the teaching staff. The warning had made the other, lower level students steer clear of the ill tempered girl ever since.

Things were not looking up for the overly confused Death Eater. Guilt was something he'd never had to deal with before. Up until this point, he had partook in Death Eater massacres and not blinked an eye. He had killed mothers and the children without blinking, watched as his fellow Death Eaters tortured Muggles before killing the slowly and painfully, and none of it had had this kind of effect on him. But now, things were starting to complicate themselves, and he did not like it one bit. 

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The New Year was welcomed in by the remaining Hogwarts students with parties, food, and an all around feeling of good cheer, even if it was somewhat subdued. Even Sable had managed to loosen up a bit. However, that might have been partly die to the new she had received from Dr. Pence on New Year's Eve morning.

After being in a complete stasis for nearly three weeks, Sable's parents were starting to recover. The psycho-altering drug that they had been forced to ingest at the hands of the death Eaters had been cleaned out by their bodies, and now the blood was returning to it's normal state. Although they were still unconscious, the medi-witches were happy to report that they were beginning to move around an little more, and respond to different stimuli. The best part was that none of them could find any sign of permanent damage. 

When Sable had gotten the message through owl post, she had cried in happiness. After tracking down McGonagall, Sable and her friends had went straight to St. Mungo's to see them. Now that the de-toxication stages were complete, both adults had been moved into the same room. Upon entering the sterile room, it was clear to everyone that the two Aurors would make a full recovery.

Their skin was starting to warm up, and the paleness was going away. But what tipped it all was when Sable was talking to them, and they saw Carol Robbins' hand move towards her daughter. Sable had broken down into tears of happiness then, and Remus had held her until they subsided. Remus was more than happy that there was going to be no permanent damage from the wounds he had inflicted on Carol Robbins. After an hour or so, the group made it back to Hogwart's to ring in the New Year. Now that Sable was back on track, everyone felt better, especially Remus.

Now, the Saturday before classes started back, Sable was down in the dungeons, finishing a batch of Wolfsbane Potion for Remus for the upcoming full moon. Things had been quiet up until then, and her mind had been settle don her parent's recover, as well as the upcoming school time. Her mind was going through its monthly hiatus as the full moon closed in on them. The full moon was this coming Wednesday, and Sable was wishing that it was already over with. Wednesday would make one month that her parents had been in the hospital, completely oblivious to the world around them.

Her mood swings were starting, and her nerves were frazzled. Remus seemed to be the only one who could calm her down, and he was not with her at the moment. Pushing her hair to the side, Sable ladled out he doses of potion and capped them off to put in Professor Treble's storage cabinet. 

She had found an alternative to adding her own blood into the potion, and had discussed the consequences with her Potion's instructor before attempting it. According to one of the books she had received from Amanda for Christmas, instead of adding blood to a potion, it was possible to substitute and number of other ingredients into a potion, yet get the same result, as well as cut down on the brewing time dramatically. Sable had already made enough of the potion to hold Remus for a while, but she decided to try the new way and see if it would work out as well. Apparently it had, seeing as how the potion had reacted as expected, and not blown up in her face. She was almost finished cleaning her mess up when the dungeon's heavy door opened up to allow someone to enter. 

Glancing over her shoulder, she froze when she saw Snape enter the room. He had not spoken to her all break, and she wanted it to stay like that. Unfortunately, her lucky streaks never were rumored to be long.

"Robbins." Snape said as acknowledgement to her presence.

"Snape." She answered, inclining her head towards the young man. The Slytherin student was shocked at the cold reception from her. _'I better be glad she isn't ready to hex me into the next afterlife!' _he thought bitterly. _'Especially considering my part in her parent's current state!'_ Sable continued to clean up her mess hurriedly, and was about to leave when Snape stopped her.

"How are your parents?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. Sable had been expecting a number of things when he had come into the laboratory, but him inquiring about her parents had not been on that list. She nodded her head and sat down in a nearby desk.

"Things are looking up, actually." she answered truthfully. "The doctor says that their bodies have cleaned themselves out form the junk those scum-bag Death Eaters forced down their throats."

"What was in their bodies? Do you know?" he queried, acting completely innocent of the fact that _he_ was the one who had brewed the mind altering potion to begin with.

"The doctor never told me." she lied easily. "All I know is if I ever find out who done that to them, I'll kill them with my bare hands."

"You would forfeit your life to Azkaban just to avenge your parents?" he asked. "They are not dead. Why would you do that?"

"I have my reasons for doing thing, Severus." she answered truthfully, looking him straight in the eyes. "As I am sure you do." Snape said nothing to the girl, only nodded and backed away, watching her pick up her pack and head to the door.

"I see." he stated coolly. "Good day then, Sable."

"Good day to you as well, Severus." Sable said, walking out off the door and up the hallway towards Gryffindor Tower.

Back in the lab, Snape shook his head and turned back to his intended work.

"I am a fool." he muttered quietly. "She'd kill me in a heartbeat if she knew what I've done." The rest of the day, Snape worked on his holiday homework, and tried to steer clear of any and all Gryffindors. _'School starts back soon, and I do not want to be bothered with useless homework, seeing as Voldemort plans our next stop in this ridiculous game of cat and mouse with Robbins and her family.'_

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Sunday morning, Sable woke up to find someone lying next to her in the big bed. Without even thing, she burrowed down into the covers and tried to go back to sleep, knowing that her bed mate was no one other than her own boyfriend. The rest of the students would be back today, and she did not feel like dealing with them just yet. Unfortunately, it seemed that Remus had other plans entirely. Right about the second she was going to fall back into dream land, she felt something cold latched onto her side.

"Damn it, Remus!" she said sleepily. "Let me sleep!" She heard a soft chuckle and felt the warmth of her blanket leave her.

"Time to get up, love." he said with a happy grin. "It's nine o'clock." Sable stuck her head under her pillow and groaned. Remus was in one of his playful, teasing moods, quite odd considering the full moon was only two days away.

"I don't care if it's blood well noon!" she said angrily. "How'd you get in here, anyway? I just changed the password to avoid situations like this."

"You can thank James for that." Remus laughed.

"Damn you, James Prongs Potter!" she cursed, not moving from her spot on the bed. Remus grinned, knowing Sable was never a morning person.

"Come on, love." he coaxed, pulling the pillow off of her head. "Its only a few hours before everyone gets back, and those little munchkins keep you busy." Sable looked up at him and yawned.

"Oh, alright, Remus." she said, sitting up on her bed. "What do you have planned, since you obviously are not going to let me sleep in this morning."

"Well, James and the others are waiting down at the Pitch for us."

"You woke me up to go play Quidditch?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Umm…Uh…Yeah?" he answered meekly, waiting for her reaction. Sable rolled her eyes and stretched.

"Okay. Give me ten minutes and I'll be in the Common Room." Remus grinned and turned to leave, shutting the door behind him.

The Hogwart's Express would be back sometime after lunch, and Remus had planned to keep her busy up until the very last minute because he knew the minute that Thomas and his friends came back, they would attach themselves to Sable and not let go.

A few hours later, the train did arrive, and Sable could see the station form her position on the Pitch. They had been playing Quidditch all morning, and now James had to go got Lily and leave to retrieve the students. Sirius and Bella took off not long afterwards, leaving Remus and Sable to clean up. They picked up the Quidditch set and put it backing to the shed, along with the school brooms that they had been flying on.

"What do you want to do now?" Sable asked as she dusted off her hands.

"Don't care." Remus answered, walking up behind her and hugging her. "As long as the munchkins don't come steal you away from me." Sable smiled and leaned back onto Remus, taking comfort in his presence.

"You do realize we were both munchkins at one point in time, don't you?" she asked.

"Umm-hmm." he said. "But we were never that annoying."

"Remus! They're just children!" she scolded.

"Sorry, love." he said, a crazy smile on his face. "So what do you want to do? How about a walk in the forest?"

"Are you serious?" Sable asked, eyeing her boyfriend with a frown on her face.

"No, I'm Remus." he said, smiling at her. 

"Hardy har-har." Sable muttered. "You know what I meant."

"I know." Remus said. "So, you want to go?"

"Remus, I hate that forest." she whined, eyeing the forest line skeptically.

"We won't go any further than the tree line." he said placatingly. "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to practice the transformation? We could do that without being interrupted." 

"Yeah, but do we have to go into the forest?" she asked again.

"It's either that, or back into the castle. And I don't know about you, but I'm sick of looking at stone walls." he said.

"Alright, let's go." she said reluctantly. Remus grinned and they took off towards the forest.

Surprisingly enough, Sable managed tow switch back to her lupine form with only a little bit of concentration after they had gotten to the tree line. Remus, knowing that the transformation really did hurt like Hell, watched as she switched from one form to another, holding up rather well against the pain. The rest of the evening, until right before dark fell, the two teems rambled around the edge of the forest, talking and generally enjoying each other's company. By the time dusk came, Sable and Remus were at the steps of Hogwarts, preparing for the initial rush of the younger student's to Sable's side.

"They're going to attack you the moment they see you." Remus teased her as they walked in.

"You make them sound like a rabid pack of animals, Remus." she said, watching as the doors opened and some of the children spotted her. 

"Well, they act like it sometimes." Remus mumbled as the younger student's came to welcome Sable back. After speaking with the students, and making it up the stairs, Remus only grinned and gave her an I-told-you-so-look.

"Just wait until we get into the common room." he said. 

As soon as Sable stepped back into Gryffindor Tower that night, she was surrounded by Thomas and his friends. Remus let out a threatening growl as the students pushed him out of the way, but Sable nudged him and winked, silently telling him that she would meet up with him later. As the evening wore on, Sable was brought up to date on everything that had happened during the younger children's vacations. And she told them what had happened at Hogwarts, and what had happened to her parents. The children were shocked that something could happened to their friend's parents, and especially so close to Hogwarts. Sable just nodded and told them to stick together and make sure not to wander around alone, especially outside.

When she finally got to her room that night, Remus was waiting for her. 

"I told you that you would get mobbed." he teased.

"Remus, I'll have you know, that if it was not for the fact that you already have a girlfriend, you would have just as many little girls hanging around you as I do little boys." she said saucily. "so I really don't want to hear it."

"I told you it would happen." he said, grinning at her.

"You are seriously starting to overdue this, Moony." she said. "I'm their tutor. Of course they would want to talk to me."

"You're also the reason half of those little runts have finally noticed that girls exist on this plane." she said.

"Well, I'm glad that I could teach them one of life's important lessons." she said with a grin. "Girls really aren't as bad as most people like to think."

"Hmm. I'll agree to that one." he said, hugging her tightly to show that he was only kidding.

"Time to get some sleep, don't you think?" she asked. Remus nodded and the couple fell into bed, getting as close as possible. The lunar changes were soon, and their overwhelming need to be near each other made them want to be closer than normal, which was absolutely fine with them. They went to sleep, hoping that the new term would be better than the last, and wishing that the full moon would hurry up and be over with. 

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A/N- Okay everyone, I know it has been a MAJORLY long time since I've put up a new chapter. But, now that my Inuyasha story is completely finished, I plan on finishing this one before I even THINK about starting another one.

So, now that I've got another chapter to do type up for you all, I'll leave you to go.

Later,

A.A.


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was

A/N- Okay, now that my other stories are finished, I should have more than enough time to finish this story up. I hope you guys enjoy. 

Later, 

A.A.

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Chapter 39

The Tuesday after school started began as normal for Sable, at least as normal as possible the day before a full moon. Remus had met her in the Common Room after she finished getting dressed, and they went with the rest of the Marauders and Lily to breakfast. Her first few classes passed by as normal, much like they always had. But she got the shock of her life during lunch. She and Lily had just returned from an excruciating class of Arithmancy when they sat down at lunch.

"You two alright?' James asked, spying the haggard looking girls.

"We're fine, James." Lily said, rubbing her temples when she felt a headache coming on. "Bad class."

"Professor Trish giving you guys problems again?" Sirius asked, shoveling food onto his plate.

"Yeah." Sable said. "You'd think she wanted to kill us with as 

much review work she's been giving us. I know N.E.W.T.S are hard, but this is just ridiculous!" Sable looked up towards the Head Table out of habit, and found that McGonagall was walking briskly towards them, a frown on her face. She looked at the Marauders, who were engrossed in eating their food, and frowned. "What have you guys done to tick McGonagall off now?"

"Huh?" Peter asked, his mouth full of food.

"What are you talking about, Sable?" Sirius asked, taking time to answer her before noticing that McGonagall was on her way towards them.

"She looks peeved." Lily frowned. "What did you guys do now?"

"Nothing!" 

"We're innocent!"

"We haven't pranked anyone...yet..."

"Why do you automatically assume it's us she's coming after?" James asked, pouting like a child and looking at the two girls.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Sable asked sarcastically.

"Well..."

"Ms. Robbins," McGonagall said, coming to stand behind the girl. Sable turned and looked at the Transfiguration professor. "I need to speak with you immediately."

"Is something wrong, Professor?" Sable asked, worried that she was in trouble for something, and quickly thinking up ways of throwing the blame back on James and Sirius just incase. 

"No. Nothing is wrong." the teacher said, smoothing Sable's 

worried nerves immediately. "It concerns your parents, Ms. Robbins."

"What's going on?" Lily asked, coming to her friend's aid.

"Come with me, Ms. Robbins. We need not discuss this matter here." McGonagall motioned for Sable to follow her, and the black-headed girl followed immediately, the Marauders and Lily on her heels. They came to an empty classroom, and McGonagall let Sable in, but was hesitant to let the others in until Sable nodded her head and pulled Remus in with her.

"They already know everything, Professor." she said quickly. "They have just as much right to know as I do."

"Very well then." McGonagall sighed, shutting the door when Peter came in.

"What's going on, Professor?" James asked cautiously. "Is something wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Robbins?"

"Actually, I have good news." she said, looking at Sable. "It seems as though your parents have finally awaken." Sable's mouth made a perfect 'o' as the news sunk in. Remus smiled when he noticed her immediate shift in moods.

"What? When?" Sable asked quickly.

"Early this morning." McGonagall said, a motherly smile on her face. "Apparently your mother was the first, and then your father. Dr. Penske believes that the coming full moon sped up their bodies removal of the foreign material, allowing them to regain consciousness when the drugs were removed."

"Oh...Thank Merlin!" Sable said happily. "I want to go see them, as soon as possible. Like right now!" 

"Of course, Ms. Robbins." McGonagall said. "I assume your friends will be going as well?" She turned to the other five students in the room and waited for an answer.

"Well, I'm going with her. I don't know about you guys." Remus said quickly, hugging her again.

"Of course." Lily said firmly.

"What do you think, Professor?" Sirius smiled.

"It gets me out of Potions! Of course I'm going!" muttered Peter.

"We've been through this with her. We're not about to leave her now that they are getting back to normal." James said, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"Very well." their teacher said. "I will have a carriage waiting to take you to Hogsmeade. From there you can Floo to St. Mungo's hospital. I do believe Professor Treble has volunteered to chaperone this trip."

"Thank you, Professor." Sable said happily as their Transfiguration teacher walked out the door. 

"Let's go." Sable said. "I want to get there as quickly as possible."

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When they arrived at the magical hospital, Sable took off in a flat out run, trying to get to her parents. Lily and the Marauders ran after her, leaving Professor Treble to catch up with them. When they got to the room her parents had been in, they found her staring at the door and trying to catch her breath. She looked to almost be in tears, and Remus put a comforting hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"We'll give you a few minutes before we come in, okay?" he asked. "We all want to see them, so come get us when you're ready." Sable nodded and looked back to her friends. They had been by her side the whole time since her, Remus, and her parents had been attacked. She sniffled and nodded.

"Thank you, guys." she muttered, looking at their faces. "You guys are the best."

"Not a problem." Lily said, a smile on her face. "Now go and make sure they are okay. Go." Sable put her hand on the doorknob to enter, but a gruff voice from the other side stopped her in her tracks.

"Meadow?" came a man's voice. Sable smiled, knowing her father was the only one who actually ever called her by her real first name, and flung the door open to reveal her parents, sitting up in separate beds on the other side of the room. Remus saw the smile on her face as she rushed over to them, then shut the door and let his girlfriend have the time she needed with her parents.

"Daddy!" Sable squealed, running over to the beds and hugging her father tightly. "Momma!" She hugged her mother and the tears she had been holding back finally began to fall. "You're awake. You're really back." Carol Robbins held her daughter as she cried into her shoulder. 

It had not been long since both she and her husband had awoken and were told that they had been out of it for nearly two months. The doctors and nurses had told them that their daughter had visited nearly everyday, and they were anxious to see her.It was times like this that both Robert and Carol Robbins knew being an Auror was dangerous work. But to know that they were protecting their daughter from the horrors of Voldemort and his followers kept them going. And seeing Sable clutching each of them was payment enough, knowing that she loved them so much.

"It's okay, baby." Carol Robbins said soothingly, stroking her daughter's hair. "We're okay. And Dr. Penske says that we should be back to normal in no time at all."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen...." She cried, turning to hug her father again. "If I'd have known, I would have done something to stop it!" Robert looked down at his laughter and shook his head.

"It's not your fault, Meadow." he said, hugging her tightly. 

"You had nothing to do with this."

"It was me they were after." She said sadly. "It's all my fault you guys were kidnapped and drugged!" Robert looked over at his wife and shrugged. They had no idea what she was talking about, and knew that she would not make any sense until she calmed down.

"Sable, baby, listen to us." Carol said. "Calm down and tell us

what happened."

"You don't remember?" Sable asked, looking from one parent to the other. "You don't know what happened and how you got here?"

"Unfortunately, we can't remember anything past when the Death Eaters started force feeding us that disgusting potion." her mother said. "Everything after that is nothing but a haze of confusion."

"So, you don't remember what happened during last month's full moon?" she asked carefully.

"No. We don't. Dr. Penske told us that you knew what had 

happened, and we want you to tell us." Robert Robbins said. He took a quick intake of breath and frowned at her. "But more importantly, why do I smell someone else's scent on you?"

"Huh?" Sable asked, completely confused as to where that

question had come from. _'Oh, shit!'_ she thought quickly. _'They smell Remus on me! Damn heightened senses!'_

"I noticed it as well, Sable." her mother said. "You smell like

you've been snuggled up to someone. Who is it?" 

Sable rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, cursing the

heightened senses of a werewolf during the week of the full moon. She knew that they smelled Remus' scent on her, and one look at her father proved that he was suspicious of her. She had not told her parents about her and Remus, and had planned on doing it during Christmas break. 

_'Well, no time like the present, right?' _she thought as the door to the room opened and Lily stuck her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt, Sable." she said sheepishly. "But can we

come in yet? Or do you need more time. Mr. Paranoid out here herd you crying and is about to break the door down trying to get in here. He thinks something is wrong." 

"Yeah, come on in." she said. Lily nodded and slipped back out into the hall to gather the Marauders.

"Breaking down the door?" Carol Robbins asked, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Because he heard you crying?" Robert asked, a growl in his

throat. Sable actually whimpered at the threatening tone in her dad's voice. It was the instinctual protectiveness she knew that came with the monthly changes.

"Umm, I'll explain later?" she said, turning it into more of a question than a statement.

"How about you explain now?" her father asked. "You've got a boyfriend?"

"Ummm...yes." Sable said. _'Dad, let's quit playing a game of twenty questions and just drop the subject right now, please.'_ she thought.

"Do we know him?" her father asked.

"Yeah, you do." Sable said, nodding her head.

"Oh, Robert, quit acting like you're going to bite her head

off." Carol Robbins scolded lightly. "Is it Remus Lupin, baby?"

"Actually, it is." Sable said, rubbing the back of her neck 

awkwardly.

"Well, then I see no problem with that." she said simply, moving around on the hospital bed to get comfortable. "Oh, Robert, hush! He's not going to hurt her!"

"How long?" her father asked.

"Dad, can't we talk about this later?" Sable asked. "You just woke up out of a month coma. My personal life can be put on hold for a little while."

"Calm down, Robert." Mrs. Robbins said firmly. "Her friends are here to make sure she's alright. They don't need you snapping at them. Control yourself." Robert Robbins frowned and crossed his arms, leaning up against the bed. Sable almost laughed, seeing as how that position reminded her of a pouting Remus anytime he did not get his way. She stifled the laughter as the door opened and the group of students walked in, lead by Remus.

"Sable, you okay?" he asked, coming up beside her.

"Fine, Moony." she answered. "Nothing I haven't already been through."

"Who are your friends, baby?" her mother asked.

"Mom, dad, there are my friends from school." Sable said, pointing to each one in turn. "You guys should remember them from when I left Hogwarts. Lily Evans, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin. Guys, these are my parents."

"Oh, my, you have all grown up, haven't you?" Carol asked,

looking at the congregated teens. "Last time I saw you all, you were practically still babies. I'd have never recognized any of you."

"Thank you." Lily said, smiling at the two. "How are you

feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to Dr. Penske and the rest of the staff. How has school been going?"

"Ready for it to be over with." Peter grumbled, not really

looking at the two patients sitting in the hospital beds.

"I can imagine." Carol Robbins said with a smile. "So, what have we missed in the past month? Anything important?"

"Nah, just Lily and James fighting." Peter said, a grin on his

face.

"And Sable threatening to tear poor old Remus to bits." James said, watching Sable's face turn a slight red color. 

"And Arabella chewing Sirius out for the pranks on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team." Lily said, smirking at her boyfriend's best friend.

"Coupled with more Death Eater Attacks." Sirius chimed in.

"Oh, and you missed Christmas and New years, as well." Sable said matter of factly. Sable's parents looked wild eyes at the teens gathered around them, then looked to Sable's slightly guilty face.

"There have been more attacks?" Robert asked slowly. 

"They never stopped." Sirius said gravely. "Especially after

that night in December when they caught Sable and Moony in the Forbidden Forest. It seems like they've gotten worse since then, actually." Sable stomped on his foot and glared at him.

"Shut up, Sirius!" She hissed, glaring up at him. 

"Huh?" he asked stupidly. "Well, it's the truth."

"There were Death Eaters on Hogwarts grounds?" Robert growled. "Does Dumbledore know about this?"

"Yes. He does." Lily said quickly.

"And they caught you two in the Forest?" Carol asked, pointing to Remus and Sable.

"What were you two doing in there? That place should still be off limits." Robert Robbins said.

"Well...it is." Remus said, not liking the accusing look Sable's dad was giving him. The thought of having his daughter alone in the forest was obviously not something the older man liked.

"Then what were you doing there?" Carol asked, trying not to

jump to conclusions.

"Well, it's kind of a long story, actually." Sable said. "Sure 

you feel like hearing it?"

"Absolutely sure." Robert said firmly.

"Uh, well...it kinda goes like this..." Sable said, but was 

interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in." Robert growled. Dr. Penske came into the room, holding two vials of some kind of liquid, a smile on his face.

"Time for more medicine." he said. "You two need your rest.""We've been asleep for a month, Doc!" Robert Robbins grumbled. "I think that's damn well long enough."

"Robert! Hush!" Carol said firmly. She looked to the doctor apologetically, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's not a sleeping potion." Dr. Penske said. "Just one to boost your healing a little."

"Fine." Robert Robbins said, taking the potion from his hands. "Give it here." Sable grimaced as her father swallowed the potion, trying not to laugh at the face he made. Her mother was more inconspicuous about it, but it was obvious whatever the potion was, it did not taste good. Dr. Penske took out a notepad and began to ask a whole bunch of questions. 

Sable nodded as Lily, Peter, James and Sirius, slipped out of the room, probably to go tell Professor Treble what was going on. Remus looked at Sable and frowned, nodding towards her father. Sable only smiled, knowing that her father seemed rather brisk and brash during the full moon. In a few minutes, Sable noticed that her father's eyes are starting to droop down, and her mother is fast asleep once again. When her father falls asleep, Sable looks over at the doctor and frowns. 

"You said it wasn't a sleeping potion." she stated. "So why are they out cold, again?"

"It wasn't a sleeping potion." the doctor answered. "It was a

healing potion developed to augment the lycanthropy gene in the systems. It helps boost the healing factor, but it makes the patients sleepy when they take it."

"Oh." Sable said. "Okay."

"One thing before I leave, Ms. Robbins." Dr. Penske said. "They don't know how they wound up here. In fact, they don't remember anything past when the Death Eaters started feeding them that psycho-altering concoction. They're going to want to know what happened that night, but you must not tell them until after the full moon tonight. If they are agitated any more than they already are, the consequences could me disastrous."

"Tonight is the full moon, though." Sable said.

"I know." he answered. "Later this evening, they are going to be moved into separate rooms in order for the transformation to occur."

"No, don't separate them." Sable cautioned. "It's better if

they're together before and after the change. They're less violent

towards themselves that way."

"I'll make the proper arrangements then." the red-headed doctor sighed. "You know more about their behavior than I do."

"How long before they wake up?" she asked.

"Probably an hour or so." Dr. Penske said. "The potion won't

last long."

"What are we supposed to tell them?" Remus asked. "They are going to want to know what happened. And we are not going to lie to them."

"I will speak with them and explain." Dr. Penske said.

"Not going to work." Sable said. "They're too stubborn. You're either going to have to keep them sedated until later tonight, or let me tell them this evening."

"If you tell them, you run the risk of making the transformation even worse than it already will be." Dr. Penske pointed out. "They don't need the stress of knowing what put them in the hospital, at least not until the change is over with." Sable bit her lip and looked at Remus, who only shook his shoulders.

"I have something that could help them calm down after the

change." she said cautiously.

"What?" Dr. Penske asked.

"A potion." she said quickly. "I've been working on it. It helps people with lycanthropy keep themselves sane after the changes. Their instincts are subdued, so they actually think like a human instead of a wolf."

"Wolfsbane Potion?" the doctor asked, looking at her in complete surprise.

"You know about it?" Sable asked, shaking her head. "But...how?"

"The Ministry sent me a copy of the manuscript of the potion's developer, as well as their own personal conclusions on it." he said. "I had no idea Meadow Robbins and Sable Robbins were the same people. You're the one that came up with this, aren't you?" Sable nodded, taking credit for the work.

"So what'd they say?" she asked. "Are they going to legalize it?"

"They're still debating, the Ministry that is.." he answered truthfully. "They're worried about testing it on someone."

"It works." Remus said quickly. "She already tested it." Sable

steeled herself for the scolding that was undoubtedly going to come from the doctor in front of her, but it never came.

"Who did you test it on?" he asked, looking at the girl in front of him, who suddenly seemed quite nervous. He glanced up at Remus and frowned. "Not, Mr. Lupin?"

"Would you report me if I said yes?" she asked. She knew it was practically illegal to have an unregistered potion, let alone give it to someone else.

"But...how...when...It actually works?" the flabbergasted doctor asked, leaning against the door.

"Yep. Sure does." Remus said proudly, holding onto Sable.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked again.

"Positive." Remus answered. "I've been taking it since October. It works like a charm."

"Oh...my...Merlin!" the doctor said. "Do you realize what this

means, Sable? This could possibly be the most important discover in my lifetime. This is medical history!"

"So can I give it to them?" Sable asked. "Because I fully intend on telling them what happened if they ask."

"It depends." he said. "Remus, have you ever experienced any adverse reactions to the potion?"

"Only once, but I still had another potion in me for pain relief

when I took the Wolfsbane Potion." he said.

"What was the pain relief potion made of? Do you know?" Dr. Penske asked quickly.

"The basic ingredient was Wormwood." Sable said. "It reacted with the Banewood and Wolfsbane, causing him to black out. But the dosage I gave him was highly diluted, so no damage occurred."

"Can they take it?" Remus asked.

"I've read over the manuscripts and ingredients list the

Ministry sent me." Dr. Penske said. "According to what I read, the Wolfsbane Potion should not react with the medication they are currently on. So, yes, they should be able to take it."

"I can go get it and bring it back before they wake." Sable

said. "My Potions instructor is here with us, if you want to speak with him to get a second opinion. He knows about the potion."

"I'll do that, Ms. Robbins." Dr. Penske said. "As for the 

potion itself, when does it have to be administered?"

"One dose when I get back, and another right before dark." she said.

"Very well, then. Get your potion and both of you get back here as soon as possible. I will speak with Minerva and Albus immediately, as well as your other Professor." he said, opening the door leading out into the hallway. "Before administering the potion we are going to move both of them into a room before it gets too late in the evening. They'll be in a part of the hospital where I usually am during my change. there are enough rooms for all of us." He rubbed the scarred bite marks on his arm, and Remus and Sable nodded to find their chaperone and relate the news.

An hour later, Remus and Sable, as well as Dr. Penske, were in the room where they would be changing later that night, when Sable's parents woke up. Lily and the other Marauders had remained at school on Dumbledore's orders when they had returned, so only the two of them were left.

"Where did everyone go?" Carol Robbins asked as she sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes. "And when were we moved to a new room?" Robert Robbins yawned and shook his head, shooting the doctor a glare.

"I thought I distinctly remember you saying that was NOT a

sleeping potion." he said icily. Sable, sensing a fight coming, quickly intervened.

"Mom, dad, I need to tell you guys some things that have happened since you all have been out of it."

"We want to know what happened to put us in here and unconscious for a month. The last thing we remember is being force-fed something by some Death Eater with black hair." Robert said.

"And I want to know why you two were in the Forbidden Forest." Carol pointed out. "Especially with Death Eaters on the loose."

"Before they begin, I need the two of you to drink this." Dr.

Penske said, handing each of them a small dose of the Wolfsbane Potion.

"What is it this time? You're not putting me to sleep again!" Robert growled at the doctor.

"Daddy!" Sable scolded. "Calm down!"

"Robert." Carol Robbins said warningly.

"I can assure you that this one will not put you to sleep." He said. "You have my word as a physician."

"It's alright, Daddy." Sable said. "Now quit being stubborn and take it. It's going to help with the change later tonight."

"Sabriel...."

"Robert! Listen to the girl." her mother said, eyeing Sable curiously. "I have a feeling she and Remus are going to explain

themselves quite thoroughly, very soon."

"If it makes you feel better, Mr. Robbins. I'd take some with

you, but she already forced my dose sown me this morning at breakfast." Robert looked at Remus and shook his head.

"Baby," her mother asked. "What is this stuff?"

"It's Wolfsbane Potion." Sable said proudly.

"What does it do, exactly?" Robert asked, eyeing his daughter.

"It enables people who have been infected with lycanthropy to retain their mental stability after they transform." Dr. Penske said.

"And what pea-brain came up with this?" Robert snarled. "It's not possible!"

"That would be THIS pea-brain, Daddy!" Sable growled, looking at her father. "And I'll have you know it IS possible!"

"You've got to be kidding?" Carol said, eyeing the vile. "How? Sable, how did you find this? How do you know it even works?" Sable glared at her father one last time and turned to look out the window at the setting sun, collecting her thoughts as Remus watched.

"Get comfortable, you two." she sighed. "It's time I told you a

story...."

~~~~~~An Hour Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And that's what has been happening during the past month." Sable finished with a frown. She had told them everything, including how she and Remus had fought, then been lured into the Forest. she told them about how Voldemort had captured them to use as bait to get to her. She told them about her own transformation, and how Dumbledore had sent them to St. Mungo's after she had woken up in the hospital wing the morning after. She had even told them about the Celtic potions book where she

had gotten the original potion from. Of course, she left out the part about James and Sirius being Animagi, and the fact that Remus and her had been spending more time than normal with each other. 

The shocked look on her parent's face was to be expected, but

the outburst from her father was not.

"We have been out too damn bloody long!" he shouted. "Is there anything else we need to know?" Sable shook her head, looking to Remus for help. He had helped to fill in the story when Sable had stopped, but they had covered everything that he could think of.

"Umm, nothing that I can think of about at the moment." Remus said with a frown. "I think that pretty much covers all of it."

Sable's parent's were utterly shocked at what had happened while they were out. They were also worried and angered that Voldemort had attacked Sable.

"We need to speak with the Minister, immediately." Carol said. "We have some leads on suspected Death Eaters in England. they could have possibly had a hand in this."

"I'm afraid it is going to have to wait until tomorrow." Sable

said quietly, glancing at her watch. "The moon will be up soon, and we are going to be a little preoccupied."

"It shouldn't be much longer now." Remus frowned. "I can feel it coming. Did you bring more of the potion, love?" he asked Sable.

"Right here." Sable answered, pulling out a couple more doses of the potion and handing them to her parents and boyfriends. "Drink up, you guys." The three werewolves downed the drink as Dr. Penske came back into the room. Sable handed him a dose of it and he gulped it down, grimacing at the horrid taste.

"I'm afraid we are going to have to separate you from each other until the changes finish." he said, looking at Sable and Remus. "After that, someone will allow you to come together again."

"I'm going with him." Sable protested, looking at the doctor.

"I can't let you do that, Ms. Robbins." he said wearily. "It's

not safe." Sable growled and in a blur of white, a growling white

she-wolf with blue eyes was standing beside Remus, ready to pounce.

"Oh, my!" Carol said, blinking as she looked at her daughter.

"I'll be damned! She did it!" her father exclaimed proudly,

slapping his leg in amusement.

"That's enough, Sable." Remus said, grabbing the fur on her

neck. "Calm down, you made your point." the she-wolf looked at the doctor and snarled. Then, in another blur of white, Sable stood beside Remus, a grimace on her face.

"Damn that hurts!" she mumbled. "I was hoping these things would get easier the more I done them."

"Are you okay, Sable?" called her father. Sable groaned and

nodded. 

"Meadow Sabriel Robbins, you had better say something to us!" Carol Robbins said, watching as Sable stood up and nodded. She knew her daughter hated her full name, and using it was sure to get some kind of reaction out of her, no matter what state she was in.

"I'm fine, mom, dad." she said. "Just a little sore. Those

changes still hurt a little." She turned to the doctor and frowned. 

"Now, as you can see Dr. Penske, Remus is no threat to me at all. As such, I will be with him." 

"Very well." Dr. Penske said irritably. "Come with me quickly, it is almost time." 

"We'll be back in a few minutes." Sable said, hugging her

parents before leaving with Remus and the doctor.

"Be careful, baby." Carol called out.

"Always." Sable grinned, shutting the door to the room. The two teenagers followed the doctor to a room right across the hallway from where her parents were.

"When the change is complete, you can go back in there with

them." he said, opening the door. "This entire wing of the hospital is empty, and I'm leaving the door unlocked and open. Stay in here until it is over with. I would have let you all stay in one room, but I was afraid of the reaction your father would have had to having another male wolf around him during the change, especially considering Remus' scent is in your clothes. Most werewolf males are territorial, and I thought it would be better to let the potion take affect before you tried going in there."

"Of course." Sable said, nodding at the doctor. 

"Will anyone be able to hear us down here?" Remus asked. 

"No, the rooms are soundproof, and will not give away your

positions."

"Thank you, Dr. Penske." Sable said. "How can I ever thank you for all of this?"

"Little lady, if this concoction of yours actually works, it'll be thanks enough." he said, smiling at her. Sable nodded as he left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. She turned to Remus and nodded at his pained expression.

"How much longer, love?" she asked, kneeling down beside him.

"Five minutes, max." he muttered, trying to get comfortable on the stone floor. "I can feel the changes already starting." He grimaced as an acute wave of pain swept through is body. Sable tried to soothe his discomfort as best she could until the change finished. Remus was quiet for a few moments, but when another wave of pain came over him, he doubled over, knowing it was time. He looked to his right, where Sable was holding him tightly, muttering and mumbling encouragement.

"You gonna put all three of us together?" he asked lightly, trying to lighten the mood a little bit by referring to her parents and himself.

"Well, of course." she said, a smile on her face. "They might as well get used to you, especially while you're in your better form."

"Better form?" he grimaced. "What's wrong with this one? I thought you liked it."

"Oh, I do." she grinned, pushing some of his hair away from his face. "But when you're a wolf, you can't argue with me." 

Remus only grinned as the change took full effect and he howled in pain as his bones forcefully broke and reshaped themselves into his wolf form. He felt the hair on his body grow course and spread all over his body. The last thing he saw before completely reverting into his wolf body was the concerned form of a white she-wolf right next to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As usual, Remus' transformation took a little over three minutes to complete. Sable, now in her own lupine form, watched with horror as her boyfriend writhed and jerked in pain as his transformation completely itself. When the change was finally completed, Sable knelt down beside him and whimpered, drawing his attention to her. _'Come on Remus, please show me that you are alright.' _she thought_. 'I'll take anything right now just to know that you're alright.'_ Remus blinked a few times before standing up and shaking himself off. He walked over to Sable and licked her muzzle, signifying that he was okay. _'Oh, thank Merlin. It worked.'_ she sighed. Sable yipped at him and walked towards the door, beckoning him to follow her. _'Come on wolfie, you've got some parents to meet.'_ she thought as they got ready to face her parents.

She pushed the door open with her nose and walked over to the door across the hallway, noticing that Dr. Penske had left that one ajar as well. She could hear nothing from the other side of the door, and she was happy that it seemed as though the potion had worked. _'Well, they're not tearing anything apart, so that's a good sign.'_ She looked back at Remus and nodded, silently telling him that it seemed as though things would be okay. Sable nudged open the door and cautiously walked over, sniffing at the two wolves standing next to each other while Remus stayed at the doorway, content to see how Sable's parent's reacted to her before going in himself.

When she walked closer to her parents, Sable could tell that

something was different with them. It was apparent to her that the potion had worked. The fierce fire that usually showed in their eyes was not present, and their dispositions seemed completely relaxed and indifferent, at least until they saw the wolf that was their own daughter. 

When the tan colored wolf saw Sable, she ran over to her and

tackled her playfully, licking at her face and yipping in happiness. _'Well, it looks like it worked, love.'_ Remus thought happily, watching the females play. _'Good work, love.' _The coal black wolf walked over to where the two females were tussling and gently got in between the two of them, nudging Sable to the side. 

Remus watched as Sable stepped away from her mother, then tackled her father when he wasn't looking. The coal black wolf snarled and nipped at Sable playfully, telling her to calm down. Remus watched as Sable looked at her father and gave the wolfish equivalent to a smirk, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. 

__

'Take that for thinking my ideas are pea-brained, you old codger! I told you so!' Suddenly, Sable stopped playing around with her parents and walked slowly over to where Remus was peeking in through the door. _'Come on, Remus.'_ she thought happily. _'They're not going to hurt you, for Merlin's sake. Just come on in here.'_ She yipped at him and he looked over her shoulder at the two adult wolves looking at him.

Remus seemed hesitant to enter the room, but Sable was

persistent, grabbing his fur and trying to pull him into the room. _'Take it easy, Sable!'_ he whined as she pulled a little too hard on his fur. _'This stuff hurts when it's ripped out!' _Remus quit putting up any form of resistance, and allowed Sale to pull him into the room. Sable pulled Remus in there and stood next to him as the other two wolves walked up to him, seemingly to inspect the young man. _'Judgment day.'_ Remus thought sarcastically

The two adult wolves circled around the two teenage wolves, every now and then letting a little yelp go every now and then. Remus looked over at Sable, and whimpered. _'What in the world are they doing.'_ he thought. Sable shook her head and nuzzled her boyfriend, trying to keep him calm. When her parents came and sat in front of the two, Sable looked at them carefully, trying to determine whether or not they approved of what she had done.

Without warning, the tan she-wolf that was Sable's

mother walked up to Remus and sat right in front of him, watching him carefully. Sable's father sat right in front of her and watched his wife and his daughter's boyfriend. 

He had already made his decision about the boy, all that was left was his wife's opinion. Robert Robbins knew that Sable and Remus had been close friends before she had ever been pulled out of Hogwarts two years before. He also knew that Remus was a trustworthy boy who would never really hurt anyone on purpose, even though he was a werewolf. In fact, he had figured out that Remus was more than just a friend to his daughter when Sable sent him a dose of pain relief potion every month after they had left to go to America. 

__

'You're alright, Remus.' he thought_. 'Sable could not have picked a_

better guy to be with. You both understand each other better than two people probably should, but I guess that is a good thing. People like us are not trusted in this day and age, and it is good to know that you have someone to fall back on when things get rough. Don't disappoint me, son. And don't hurt my daughter, and we'll get along just fine.'

Carol Robbins had come to the same conclusion as she looked over the brown wolf that her daughter stood beside so fiercely. Her motherly instincts over Sable were sated with Remus, seeing as how she trusted the boy completely. She knew that Sable and Remus were very good friends, and like any mother, had seen the despair in her daughter's eyes when they had left King's Cross that day two years ago. Now, she sat in front of Remus, satisfied that the boy seemed to care so much about her daughter that he was willing to face Death Eaters to keep her safe -well, at least according to the recap that Sable had given them about the night of the attack in the Forbidden Forest-. _ 'You are a good boy, Remus.'_ she thought, sitting on her haunches and nodding to the boy-wolf in front of her. _'Sable chose well, and I know that you will never hurt her. Take care of my baby, Remus, please. Because I don't see her giving you up any time soon……'_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

A/N- Okay, Remus passed the parental inspection from Sable's now conscious parents. What other tricks lie in wait for our favorite couple? You'll see soon enough.

Since this story is so long already, I'll probably be wrapping it up in the next ten chapters or so. I have it all planned out, so it really shouldn't be much longer.

Later,

A.A.


	40. Chapter 40

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Disclaimer- It's not mine. Never was. The only thing I own is Sable, and the other characters that J.K. Rowling has not already created that are in this story.

A/N- Sorry for taking so long to update. School finals are coming up and I need to study, as well as write two different papers. So, I'm really sorry, at least to the ones who are still reading this story.

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Chapter 40

Two agonizing weeks later, Robert and Carol Robbins were released from St. Mungo's with strict orders from Dr. Penske to take it easy for a couple more days before heading back to work at the Ministry. Sable had went back to school after making sure that her mom and dad were settled in at their home in Godric's Hollow. By the time she had returned to Hogwarts, she had been behind on much of her schoolwork, but with a little help from Lily and Remus, she quickly caught up on the missed assignments. She then began tackling the mountains of review work their professors had recently assigned due to the upcoming N.E.W.T.S. 

The blasted tests had overtaken most of the seventh year's conscious since returning to school after the holiday break. Lily, ever the study hog, had began pushing everyone to study hard for the tests, even though they were still a few months off.

The only reprieve from the long hours of studying came in the form of Hogsmeade weekends and Quidditch games. Slytherin had beaten Hufflepuff during their last match, effectively knocking Amos Diggory and his House team out of the running for the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor had narrowly slipped by Ravenclaw to secure the other spot in the fight for the final match. The Quidditch cup would be awarded to either Gryffindor or Slytherin House, upon completion of the final match, and both teams were anxious for the glory that the trophy held.

The day of the final Quidditch game came on a blustery Saturday, halfway through March. That morning the Marauders met the rest of their House for breakfast, just as they normally did, but it did not take long to figure out that the two mischievous boys had been up to something.

"What have you done now?" Lily asked, eyeing them skeptically as she voiced the question on her and Sable's minds.

"Oh, nothing, Lily." Sirius said smoothly, heaping food onto his empty plate. "Absolutely nothing."

"James?" Lily asked, turning to the Head Boy. "What have you done? Is this about the Quidditch match today?"

"Yeah," Sable said, looking at Sirius. "You are acting cockier than normal, especially this early in the morning."

"Cocky?!" he asked dramatically. "Sirius Black is not cocky!"

"Then what do you call it?" Peter asked, looking on completely confused as he started eating.

"Self-assured." Remus answered, snickering.

"That's right, Moony, my good man." Sirius crowed. 

"What ever you want to call it." Lily said. "What did you do, Sirius?"

"I just left a little surprise for our Slytherin friends to find." he said absently. "Nothing major."

"Another prank? And you didn't tell me about it?" Sable teased.

"What have you done, James?" Lily asked. "You haven't sabotaged the Slytherin team, have you?"

"We don't need to resort to sabotage to beat those slimy creeps!" James said loudly, glaring at Lily for even suggesting such a thing.

"Cool your jets, James." Sable said. "I want to know what to expect later on. What did you guys do, Remus?"

"You'll see later, love." he said with a grin. "I actually did not have much to do with this one."

"What did you do?" Sable asked, her curiosity peaked. 

"I got the password to the Slytherin's rooms." he said, picking at a piece of fruit.

"The Common Rooms?" Lily asked.

"No. The changing rooms down by the Pitch." Peter said. "We already know the one to the Common Room."

"Are you sure this is not going to interfere with the match today?" Lily asked. "I don't like the looks on your faces."

"You have our word as Marauders," Sirius said. "We have done nothing to interfere with today's match. Not that we would need any help to put those snakes in their rightful places."

"Yeah, the dirt." James commented. 

"Besides, it is against my honor to tamper with a Quidditch match." Sirius said confidently.

"Then why was my House team pranked the day of our match against you bunch of brutes?" came an impatient voice from behind Sirius. Remus looked up to see a slightly peeved Arabella Figg standing behind Sirius, arms folded and eyes blazing at the Marauder in question.

"Uh, morning Bella!" Sirius covered quickly. "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough, Mr. I-don't-tamper-with-Quidditch-matches." she said. Sable, seeing the terrified look on Sirius' faced, decided to intervene on the young man's behalf.

"Calm down, Bella." she said placatingly. "Besides, I heard that you hexed half of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team for bad mouthing Sirius after that last game."

"And I heard that the other half only got away unscathed because you couldn't find them to hex them." Peter muttered. Bella immediately flushed crimson and started groping for something to say in defense.

"Aww, my Bella is standing up for my honor." Sirius said, slipping his arm around her and grinning at the familiar banter they had long ago gotten used to slipping into when around each other.

"Yeah, your questionable honor." the Ravenclaw Prefect said, trying to hide a small smile. "Besides, they had it coming. Between bad mouthing Sirius and muttering a few choice words about me and my 'dating' tastes, they had it coming for a while."

"So what you're saying is that we can't prank them, but you can send enough hexes at them to land them in the infirmary for two days?" Sirius asked as she flushed darker.

"Exactly."

"Where's the sense in that?" Peter asked.

"They are in my House. Therefore it is my privilege to put the cocky gits in their places."

"That's my girl!" Sirius grinned. Sable and the others only shook their heads. Sable, by now, had finished her breakfast.

"The game starts at noon, right?" she asked.

"Yes." 

"Okay." she said. "I'll meet you guys out there. I've got some work to finish for Monday."

"Work?" Sirius asked. "On a Saturday?"

"Yeah, Sirius." Arabella said. "Work. N.E.W.T.S. are coming up, you know."

"Anyhow," Remus cut in, effectively derailing another argument before it started. "I'm going with her. I might actually get some word done."

"Bye, guys." James said.

"Remember, the game starts at noon!" Peter said as they walked out of the Hall.

"We'll be there!" Remus called back, running to catch up with his girlfriend. The couple walked through the corridors and down the Defense Hallway, going through the entrance into her room after getting past the suite of armor guarding the entrance. Sable went to her storage closet to get some extra ingredients, and Remus settled himself down at a table, pulling out some books.

"So what has Sirius got planned for our unsuspecting rivals?" she asked as she looked through some of the contents of the closet.

"I really don't know, to be perfectly honest with you." he said, opening a Charms book and flipping to a chapter he had been working on. "We weren't even planning on pranking anyone else. They woke me up this morning right after they got back from the Slytherin change rooms."

"So you're telling me that James, Sirius, and Peter done this on their own?" Sable asked. "Why didn't they let you in on it? You're usually the brains behind the pranks."

"Don't know." Remus said distractedly. "But it's okay. I've been with you more lately, studying and stuff. That's probably why they wanted to do it on their own."

"Humph!" she said, huffing in indignation. "I can't wait to see what kind of mess they create with this."

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Sure enough, the Quidditch game a few hours later had been a close race. Slytherin's dirty tactics had only gotten down right filthy when they realized that the Gryffindor players were out flying and out scoring them. Sirius had seemed to enjoy every minute of it though, as he hit the flying Bludgers at any and all Slytherin players, effectively taking the Seeker out numerous times whether the Snitch was in sight or not. James' intense drills for the Gryffindor Chasers had turned them into scarlet colored torpedoes on the field. The accuracy of the shots was spot on, and it was no time before the Gryffindor's rage for blood overtook the Slytherin dishonest tactics. Because of all the excitement, no one ever noticed when Peter slipped out of the bleachers and headed for the Slytherin change rooms, bag in hand.

The game had ended with Slytherin loosing to Gryffindor with a score of 300 to 190. There was much celebration as Gryffindor was presented with the Quidditch Cup, and the players were literally carried back into the castle on the shoulders of their housemates. Peter had returned by then, a huge grin on his face and a knowing look on his face. There would be a huge celebration in the Gryffindor Common Room tonight, and the entire House knew it.

The ensuing mayhem that had occurred to the Slytherin Quidditch team that evening was pure genius. Peter had snuck into the Slytherin change rooms before the game had ever ended and put the finishing touches on the prank. He had switched the bars of soap in the shower stalls for some of _Zonko's _specialty joke soaps. Each bar was guaranteed to cause undue amounts of stress to the person who was unfortunate enough to be using it. One bar was a twenty-four hour itch soap that made the used itch constantly all over their body. Another caused a red rash to break out on the parts of the body it came into contact with; while another one promised to make the skin of the user dry and flaky. But the Marauders' favorite was a simplistic bar that caused its user to have horrid body odor. After replacing the soaps, Peter pulled out a phial of some kind of concoction Sirius and James had come up with. It was supposedly a combination of two strong libido potions. 

It was made to be geared towards a certain person, and when the drinker encountered the specified person, they would make passes at them until the potion wore off. Of course, Sirius had concocted the potion to be geared towards Madame Pomfrey, the nurse in the infirmary, but they altered it slightly so that the drinkers would hit on any female in sight who the drinker thought was attractive. Sirius had told him to put the entire dosage in the water cooler in the change room, so he did. After dumping the contents into the basin, Peter collected his thing and left, making sure to replace the protection barriers on the building. He had returned to the Pitch right before the Snitch was caught. When he had returned, he noticed Remus' eyes gleaming in anticipation at the beginning of the prank. It was going to be good. Now all they had to do was sit back and watch the fruits of their labor.

~~~Slytherin Change Rooms~~~

Cody Flint had just finished pulling on his clean clothes when there was a knock at the door to the changing rooms. Flint, still in a bad mood from the lass to Gryffindor, stalked over to the door and flung it open, only to reveal a calm looking Snape. 

"Severus." Flint said, leaning up against the door casing. "What do you want?"

"Not exactly cordial, are you?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Get in here, and quit being an ass, Snape!" Flint barked. "I don't feel like putting up with your smart-ass comments right now." Snape followed the shorter boy in the room and watched as he threw his towel into the hamper near the stalls. 

"There is a meeting tonight." Snape said simply, watching as most of the Slytherin Quidditch team exited the change room. "In Hogsmeade."

"What time?" Flint asked, tiredly. 

"Right after dusk." Snape said. "We are to receive our new orders."

"Wonderful." Flint murmured. A few seconds later, yells and screams could be heard from outside. Snape and Flint looked at each other and frowned, leaving the change rooms to go see what was going on. When they got out of the door, Flint growled, finding the rest of his teammates fighting with a number of the other House members.

"What's going on here?" Snape bellowed, stalking over to the nearest tussling pair. "Break it up!" Flint grabs one of the team Beaters and pulled him off of the boy he had been fighting with, a sixth year Hufflepuff boy.

"What is going on here?" Snape demands, eyeing the roughed up boy in front of him.

"Your buddy was making a pass at my girlfriend." the boy said firmly. "He wouldn't leave her alone, so I made him leave her alone." Snape glared at the boy and turned to tell Flint to get a hold of his team members, only to find him being slapped across the face by a girl a few feet away. 

"What the Hell is going on here?" bellowed Professor Treble as he stalked across the lawn with Professor McGonagall to find out what was going on. The Slytherin Quidditch team, completely surprised to hear their Head of House yelling at them, turn to find out what was happening, allowing the girls they were accosting to make a run for the castle. When Treble and McGonagall got to where Snape and Flint were standing, the Slytherin Head glared at his charges.

"What is the meaning of this, Cody?" he asked, glaring at the Quidditch captain, who was starting to scratch his arms in irritation as the _Zonko's_ soap kicked in. "Your team is absolutely out of line!"

"I don't know, sir." Flint answered, bending down to scratch at his leg. "I don't know what's wrong with them?"

"Professor McGonagall," came Matt Sangleworth's voice. "You look absolutely ravishing today." The Gryffindor Head looked down at the boy and frowned, noticing that he was starting to get a rash on his face, arms and hands. Before she could interject, another of the Slytherin team came up to her.

"How are you, Professor McGonagall?" Brandon Riviera said. "I am so happy that your House won the game today. They deserve it." McGonagall looked at the boy and was about to reprimand him for speaking in such an informal manner when she caught a whiff of the air around him. It smelled like rotten Hippograff eggs and over ripe fruit all rolled into one hideous smell coming from the boy.

"What is your problem?" Flint asked, looking at the two boys in complete confusion as he reached behind his back to scratch an annoying spot on his back that was itching like crazy. "We just LOST to her House! Or have you forgotten?"

"Who is worried about Quidditch when there is such a beauty in our presence?" asked Patrick Lee as he walked closer to the Transfiguration teacher. His skin had started to flake off and fall to the ground, but he seemed unaware of it. "As long as Minerva is happy, that's all that matters, correct?" By now, McGonagall looked as though she was about to faint from confusion. Treble however, was fuming mad, not only at the boy's attitudes, but their appearances as well. It seemed as though his House team had been pranked. And he had no doubt as to who was probably responsible for it.

"Snape! Flint!" he barked. "Get these imbeciles to the infirmary. Something has happened to them to have them simpering over Minerva like a bunch of love sick fools!" Flint and Snape each stun the members of the team and begin floating them towards the infirmary, not realizing that upon seeing the nurse Pomfrey, things were only going to get worse. Treble took off after his students and McGonagall frowned before following them in.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Sable and Lily were being told exactly what had happened to cause the entire Slytherin Quidditch team to act like some love sick idiots around their Transfiguration teacher. 

"A libido potion?" Lily asked, trying to hold back a grin. "You slipped them a double concentrated libido potion?"

"Yep." James said happily, glad that Lily was not very angry at him for the whole thing. "Sirius and I made a few alterations to it and got Peter to slip it into their cooler of water while the game was still going on."

"So that's where you went." Sable commented from the window as she watched her Head of House stalk in after the Slytherin Head. "I was wondering."

"What else did you do?" Remus asked, smiling. "The rest of the team looked a little uncomfortable."

"Well, let's just say that Madame Pomfrey will be getting more attention than she's used to when she tried to stop the effects of that soap." Sirius said happily. "In fact, they should be there right about now…"

~~In the infirmary…~~

Snape and Flint levitated their classmates into the infirmary and placed each of them on separate beds. Madame Pomfrey, the young nurse who had been working at Hogwarts for only a few years, rushed in to see what was the problem.

"What has happened here, Anthony, Minerva?" she questioned the two Heads as she quickly took a look at the six team members on the beds in her infirmary.

"They just started talking funny." Treble said. "They were practically proclaiming their undying love to Professor McGonagall!"

"A little young to be your admirers, aren't they Minerva?" Pomfrey teased the older woman. "What about these rashes?" 

"They came up right after we showered and left the change rooms." Flint said icily as he scratched his neck. Pomfrey nodded and shook her head, knowing exactly what had made their skin inflame and flake.

"You needn't worry." she stated simply, pulling some potions from a nearby cabinet. "It is one of those concoctions the children buy from _Zonko's_, the joke shop in Hogsmeade. They'll be back to normal in no time at all." She pulled a small glass out of a cabinet and poured a yellowish looking liquid into it, handing it to Flint. "Drink this and that itch will go away." she said. Flint took the glass and downed it in one gulp, grimacing at the awful taste.

"I take it they are in good hands?" Treble asked, looking at the nurse as she bustled around. "You can have them back to normal soon."

"Just as soon as I get this stuff down them." the nurse answered. "I will send them to the Great Hall in a half hour at the latest."

"Very well then." McGonagall said, sweeping out of the infirmary and going to look for a certain group of Gryffindor seventh years that she suspected had a hand in doing this. Treble nodded and left as well. She nodded to the remaining boys in the infirmary, dismissing them so that she could get to work. "They will be fine, boys. You can go now. Thank you for bringing them here immediately." Flint and Snape nodded, leaving the infirmary quickly. "Well now, let's see what's happened to you bunch of brutes." Pomfrey said, pulling out her wand and lifting the stunning spell from the closest Slytherin.

~~~Gryffindor Common Room~~~

"You made the concentration geared toward Pomfrey?" Remus laughed, slapping James on the back. "The poor woman won't know what to do, having the entire Slytherin team at her feet, begging her for a shag." 

"Was the potion really that strong?" Sable questioned, her eyes dancing in mischievousness. 

"It was as strong as I could make it." James said proudly. "I might not be as good as you, Sable, but my potion making abilities aren't too shabby on their own."

~~~The Infirmary~~~

Pomfrey watched as the young man's eyes slowly began to refocus onto her. The stunning spell was lifted and she held out the potion that would counterattack the effects of the enchanted soap they had come into contact with.

"Welcome back to the living world, Mr. Sangleworth's." she said, looking down at the boy. She never noticed the glazed over look on the boy's face as she helped him to sit up. "I need you to drink this, Mr. Sangleworth." she said, handing him the potion. "It will help clear up that nasty rash."

"Such loving hands." the boy replied, grasping Pomfrey's hand in a loving manner. "You truly are an angel of mercy to us all, Madame. A woman of great knowledge that can heal a man's body, as well as his soul.

"Mr. Sangleworth," Pomfrey said, taking her hand out of the young boys. "I think you need to lie down. You must have hit your head on something." The boy only smiled and shook his head, swinging his feet off of the bed and standing, pulling the confused nurse into a tight hug.

"I have not hit my head, my dear love." he whispered lovingly in her ear. "I am simply speaking the truth."

~~~Gryffindor Common Room~~~

"How long is it going to last?" Remus asked, trying to control himself from the last bout of laughing. 

"Only a few hours." Sirius said. "I figured we'd let Pomfrey get good and annoyed, and then she'd figure out how to get rid of the potion."

"Does it just work on the teachers?" Sable asked cautiously. "Or do they accost any girl they see."

"Just the ones they may have ever been attracted to at some point in time." James clarified, grabbing a bottle of butterbeer from the table. "Too bad Flint didn't get any though."

"I know." Sirius said glumly. "I was hoping he would get a double dose of it and come after Sable."

"Say what!?" Sable cried. 

"It would give me a valid reason to beat the snot out of him." Sirius said casually, a grin on his handsome face. "That is of course after Moony got finished with him."

~~~In the Infirmary~~~

"Mr. Sangleworth!!" Pomfrey exclaimed, jerking herself out of the young man's heated embrace. "I must ask you to stop this nonsense!"

"But it isn't nonsense, my beautiful woman." he said, walking towards her, a smile on his face. Pomfrey frowned and pulled her wand out, pointing it towards the advancing Slytherin.

"Stop right there, Mr. Sangleworth." she stated. "Or I will be forced to subdue you."

"Now why would you do that, love?" he asked. "I am not going to hurt you. I just want to show you exactly how much I love what you…" He was cut off when Pomfrey sent a stunning hex at him, dropping him to the floor.

"What is wrong with this man?" she asked herself, levitating him to the bed he had climbed out of only minutes before. "I'll figure it out later. Let me get the rest of these boys cleared up from _Zonko's_ wrath." She walked over to the next bed and held her nose. It was Brandon Riviera. She pointed her wand at the boy and muttered a quick _'Ennervate' _ to wake him up.

"What happened?" the boy asked, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Where am I?"

"You are in the infirmary, Mr. Riviera." Pomfrey said, pulling out another glass and dose of the remedy for the horrid smell he was producing from his body. "Now, I need you to drink this quickly." The boy reached out to take the glass, finally coming face to face with the nurse. Once again, a glazed expression lit the young man's face.

"An angel." he said. "You look like an angel."

"Excuse me?!" Pomfrey asked, shocked that there was another one that was spouting off nonsense to her. "Mr. Riviera, did you injure yourself at today's game?"

"No," he said, downing the potion, but never looking from Pomfrey's face. "No, I did not. But I believe you are the most kind and gentle woman I have ever met."

~~~Gryffindor Common Room~~~

The entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room swung open to reveal a very flustered Professor McGonagall. The students parted like the Red Sea as she stomped over to the other side of the Common Room.

"Potter! Black! Pettigrew! Lupin!" she yelled. "Get over here right now!" Upon hearing their names, the Marauders glanced back at their Professor and pasted on the most innocent smiles they could possibly muster.

"Remember, you two." Remus said quickly. "Peter and I were with you two the whole time the game was going on." The girls nodded and smiled.

"Why do we never get called?" Sable asked Lily as the boys smirked and walked over to their angry Head of House. "You'd think she'd suspect us as well." Lily only smiled and shrugged.

"McGonagall trusts us." she said. "She thinks we try to persuade the boys to stop playing childish pranks on the other Houses."

"She does, does she?" SAble asked, snickering. "That's ironic, considering the last few times we've helped them come up with the charms and potions they use during the pranks."

"Well, the boys don't mind taking the rap, so I don't complain." Lily said. "Of course sometimes I wish James would just grow out of this stage already. We're about to graduate, for Merlin's sake. And Remus was a Prefect last year, so I figured he'd calm James and Sirius down, but I was wrong."

"Don't sweat it, Lily." Sable said, watching as McGonagall interrogated the four boys in a corner. "We all have to grow up too fast. Let them have their fun while they are still at school. It's almost over, then we're all going to be in the real world. Let them have their fun, even if it is a tad childish at times."

~~~The Infirmary~~~

Pomfrey sighed in frustration as she placed another one of the Slytherin team members back on the hospital bed. She had awoken every single one of them, and they had all reacted the same way, declaring their undying love to her, and promising to sweep her away to exotic places and teaching her how greatly they appreciate her 'gentle' nature. Pacing around the room, she could come up with no idea as to why they were acting so strange. So she done the one thing she always done when faced with a confusing situation that she could not figure out, she grabbed some Floo powder and called out to Dumbledore. She had a feeling that this was the handy work of the famous Marauders, Merlin knew she had fixed a many of people who had been on the wrong end of their pranks.

"Those boys are something else. One of these days, though, they are going to prank someone and it's going to backfire on them horribly." she chuckled as Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire. "Albus, we have a problem."

"What is it, Poppy?" the wizened Headmaster asked.

"It seems as though the Slytherin Quidditch team has ingested something that is causing them to act out of context. Can you come check them over? I've never seen anything like this before."

"Is it the work of the Marauders?" the old man asked, humor apparent in his voice.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Albus." Pomfrey said with a sigh and a smile. "They are responsible for sending me the majority of my patients, after all."

"I will be there, momentarily, Poppy." 

"Thank you, Albus." she said, turning back to the boys and grinning. "You're doing this to spite me, aren't you James Potter? You're doing this because I threatened to make Albus take you and Black off of the Quidditch team if you kept pranking people. Showed me up didn't you, you little prankster?" She laughed humorlessly and awaited for Dumbledore to get there.

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By the time the potion had worn off, about three weeks later, the Slytherin and Gryffindor relationship was rocky as ever. The two opposing Houses took every chance to hex and curse each other when they came into contact. Filch wound up doling out more detentions than ever for using magic in the hallways between classes. 

As the Easter break came closer and closer, the tensions came to a head and one little incident in the hallway between classes was what had sparked it all. 

Sable had just come back into the castle one day after Herbology to find an owl waiting on her at Gryffindor table. Sirius took the letter from the owl and handed it to Sable, giving the tawny creature a piece of bread and some water before it took off. 

"You expecting a letter from your parents?" Lily asked, peering at the letter in curiosity. "How are they doing by the way?"

"Mom and dad are fine." Sable said. "What in the world does the Ministry want with me? I haven't done anything." She grabbed the letter and slit the top open.

"Well open it and find out." Lily said. Sable shrugged and opened the letter. She unfolded the piece of parchment and quickly scanned over it, taking in its contents. Her face broke into a huge grin when she finished it.

"This is great!!" she said, staring at the paper. "I can't believe it!" Remus plucked the paper out of her hand and grinned as he scanned over it. 

"What is it?" Peter asked, wanting to find out what was going on.

"Yeah, don't leave us in the dark." Sirius said, trying to grasp the paper from Remus' hand.

"The Wolfsbane Potion passed the first round of inspection through the Experimental Potions at the Ministry!" Sable gushed happily.

"And they think that they may be able to legalize it soon, if it passes the other inspections!" Remus added, a grin on his face. The Marauders grinned in happiness. All of Sable's work had finally paid off, and they were proud of her for it.

"Wonderful." Lily beamed. "That is good news."

"Yeah, Congrats, Sable." James said, patting her back.

"Thanks, everyone." Sable said. "I need to go show this to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Treble. They'll be so happy!"

"I do believe both of us already received that particular letter, Ms. Robbins." their Potions Master said, coming up behind them.

"Professor Treble!" Sable cried in happiness, snatching the paper from Remus. "Look!"

"I know, Ms. Robbins." he said gently, the ghost of as smile on his lips. "Albus and I already received word. Congratulations. You've done something it takes most researchers years to do."

"Really?"

"Yes." he said. "Now I believe your parents would be proud to know. You'd better tell them."

"I am." she said happily, clutching the paper to her. "I'm going to tell them right now." Sable grabbed her stuff and took off towards her bedroom to write the letter to her parents, leaving the rest of the Marauders standing in the Great Hall. Sirius looked at Remus and grinned. 

"Well, that's going to keep her in a good mood for a couple of days," he said. "No matter what you do, Moony." Remus grinned and leaned up against the table with his arms folded and a smirk on his lips. He had chewed Sirius, Peter, and James out for not letting him in on the last prank with the Slytherin Quidditch Team, and they promised to prank the snakes again, this time with his assistance. 

"Are you suggesting something, Padfoot." James asked, watching the retreating form of the girl from the Great Hall. 

"No more pranks, you trouble makers." Lily reprimanded, shaking her finger at them. "You need to study, not prank someone else."

"We are going to study, Lils." James said smoothly. "Just not right now."

"Yeah, Lily." Sirius said, slipping his arm on her shoulder and grinning. "We've still got enough time to study for N.E.W.T.S. Don't worry about it." Lily frowned and shook her head, walking to the door of the Great Hall to let the boys do as they wished.

James grinned as his girlfriend walked out.

"What's the plan gentlemen?" he asked, turning to his friends. 

"Well," Sirius grinned. "I was thinking….." 

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A/N- Okay people, here is the next chapter. I hope I haven't lost you guys along the way, doesn't seem like I'm getting any reviews for the story, but…oh, well. It's almost over with anyhow.

So, until next time, 

Later,

Avonnalay

P.s. Remember to leave a review. It might make this stuff easier to right. J 


	41. Chapter 41

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Disclaimer- It's not mine, never was.

A/N- Okay, just to let you guys know, I'm going to speed things up a bit. I'm ready to get this story over with, and as such, things are going to be moving a little fast in this chapter and the next. Sorry if anyone doesn't like this, but well, I'm ready to finish this story.

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Note: It's been a few weeks since the last chapter, and the students are going home for Easter break. 

The week off from school for Easter break could not have come at a better time for Hogwarts seventh year students. The past few weeks had been crammed full of schoolwork, preparations for the N.E.W.T.S. was the excuse their teachers had given them. So, when the first Friday in April rolled around, it was with a happy heart that Sable, Remus and the other Marauders grabbed their clothes and headed out the dorms, along with Lily and Arabella. The troublemakers had decided to go home for their Easter holidays, and Remus had managed to procure permission from all parental units concerned in order to spend the break with Sable and her family. His mom had not cared, seeing as how the full moon would all ready be over with by the time the break came, and Sable's parents had welcomed the idea with open arms.

"Come on, Remus!" Sable yelled from the bottom of the steps leading to the boys dormitory. "You guys are going to be late if you don't hurry up. We can't afford to miss the train!" Sable and Lily were waiting in the Common Room for the boys to do their last minute packing.

"Will you two chill out already!" came Sirius gruff voice. "We can always Apparate if we miss the train! We're only going to be gone a week anyway!"

"Yeah! We've all got our Apparating license." James hollered. "Calm down!" Lily shook her head in annoyance as she turned to Sable.

"They should have listened to me and packed last night." she said. "I knew this was going to happen. Those two are never on time."

"Don't worry about it, Lily." Sable said. "They'll be down in a few minutes. They're probably packing up prank supplies if I know them."

"You wound me to the heart, love." Remus said from the stairs. "I was packing clothes, not pranks."

"You're the exception, Remus." Sable pointed out. "You're going with me, so you need clothes. Sirius already practically lives at James' house, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had clothes stashed their." Sirius was going to spend the week with James, seeing as how he and his family were not exactly on good terms at the moment. It seemed as though ever since Christmas, Sirius had been getting all kinds of howlers and mean letters from his mother. No one knew why, although many had suggested it had something to do with his younger brother Regelus.

"Hey, I have more than clothes stashed at that house, I'll have you know." Sirius said with a grin as he, James, and Peter came down the stairs. 

"I'm sure you do." Lily muttered. "It's about time you guys finished. Let's go or we're going to be late." the students grabbed their belongings and made their way to the Entrance Hall and then out to where there were some carriages waiting to take them to the train station. After finding an empty carriage, they climbed in and settled down for the short ride to the station.

As soon as the horseless carriage stopped in the village, they climbed out and boarded the Hogwarts Express. The trip back to Platform 9 ¾ would take a few hours, and each of the trouble makers found a way to pass the time. Since it had only bee two days since the full moon for the month of April, Remus and Sable were still a little tired.

"Wake me up when we get to the station." Sable muttered as she threw her bag in the compartment across from where James and the others were going to sit. Remus nodded and tossed his in their as well.

"Me, too." he said, stifling a yawn.

"You guys going to take a nap?" Lily asked. "Looks like you could both use one."

"Yeah." Sable said pulling out her wand and conjuring up some pillows for the two of them. "Just wake us up before we get to the station, please guys."

"We will." James answered, pulling out a deck of Exploding Snap cards and waving them in front of Sirius' face.

"Thanks everyone." Remus said as he shut the compartment door. Sure enough, the rest of the trip was spent without hearing a word from either Sable or Remus. Lily worked on some homework, while the other three Marauders played Exploding Snap and ate sweets from the trolley.

A few hours passed and Lily went to wake the sleeping couple after the conductor's voice announced that they would arrive at King's Cross shortly. When the Head Girl opened the door, she held back a grin at the sight before her. Obviously, neither Remus or Sable wanted to be separated from each other. As such, one of them had conjured up some thick downy quilts and laid them on the floor to make a pallet, instead of sleeping on the cushioned benches.

As it was, Remus was lying on his back, and Sable was cuddled up beside him, mush the way her and James often were. It was almost too cute of an innocent picture for the two werewolves. Both Remus and Sable were good people, who never wanted to hurt anyone, despite their bloodline, but they were feared because of the tainted blood that ran through their veins. Shaking her head, she yanked the light blanket off of them and kicked Sable's foot.

"Time to get up, you tow. We'll be at the station in twenty minutes." Sable's eyes slowly came open as she was roused form her nap.

"Lily?" she asked, yawning.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes." Lily repeated. "Might want to wake Remus up."

"Thanks, Lily." Sable said, sitting up. "Give us a few minutes and we'll be over there."

"No problem." Lily said, closing the door and leaving them to get their stuff together. Sable looked over to her sleeping boyfriend and grinned. He was dead asleep. She grinned and shook him lightly.

"Remus, come on, it's time to get up." she said. "We're almost to the train station."

"Mmmm….go 'way Prongs….class…." he muttered, turning over and searching around for the discarded blanket with his hand. Sable smiled and shook her head, leaning down to whisper in Remus' ear.

"I'm not James." she said. "But I can go get him if you want to see him that much. I'm sure he'll be happy to know you're dreaming about him. Although I don't think Lily will be too happy about it." Before Sable could move, Remus had rolled back over and sat up, knocking her down into his lap.

"Sable?" he asked sleepily. "What are you talking about? And what are you doing down there?" Sable pushed herself up and shook her head.

"I was trying to get you up, and you were calling me James." she said, mocking insultment. "How could you?" 

"I thought you were James coming to wake me up for class." he said, stifling a huge yawn. "Sorry about that." 

"Not a problem. Lily said that we're about twenty minutes from the station."

"We better pick this stuff up then." he said, pulling himself off of the floor. Sable grabbed her wand and vanished the quilts and pillows while Remus grabbed the two bags. They crossed the hallway to the compartment were James and the others were just as the conductor's voice came across the speaker announcing that they were running ahead of schedule and would be in King's cross in five minutes.

"Sleep well?" Lily asked the two as they sat down on the seats left vacant.

"Yeah." Remus said. "I needed that." Sable nodded in agreement and they watched as Sirius' eyebrows were singed and he and James finished up a game of Exploding Snap.

Once the group got to the station and off the train, James and Sirius dis-Apparated to the Potter mansion, while Peter left with his mother, as well as Lily and her father, and Sable and Remus spotted Carol Robbins in the throng of people. The woman spotted them about the same time and came walking over to them, a smile on her face as she hugged each one in turn.

"We're here." Sable said, hugging her mother.

"Welcome home, baby." Carol said to her daughter. "It's good to see you as well, Remus. How was the trip?"

"Wouldn't know." Remus answered. "We were still recuperating from the other night." Carol nodded in understanding, she herself was still feeling the after effects of the full moon.

"Mom, where's daddy at?" Sable asked, trying to locate her father.

"Work." she answered, leading them to the car. "Some type of emergency case. I am to meet him after I drop you two off at home."

"Anything the matter?" Remus asked. 

"Not at the moment, dear." Carol answered as she opened the trunk and put their bags in their. "But with the way these blasted Death Eaters have been acting up, it wouldn't surprise me much if something major does come up."

"Both of you have to work all week?" Sable questioned. "That sucks, Mom!"

"I can't help it, baby." Carol said, slipping into the driver seat of the car and unlocking it for the teenagers. "Things are heating up, and they need every able hand they can get." Sable frowned and climbed into the car, along with Remus.

"Is that one of the reasons you let Remus come this week?" Sable asked, eyeing her mother for a reaction.

"Partly." her mother said. " I'm pretty sure your dad and I will be busy for most of the week, so we figured Remus could come keep you company if he wanted to. Sirius and James are staying at the Potters' , correct?"

"Yes. They are." Remus answered. The conversation was light in the car all the way to Godric's Hollow, mostly Carol asking about school and the Quidditch games, and Sable trying to pry information out of her mother about what was going on at the Ministry.

When they finally did get to the small house in Godric's Hollow, Mrs. Robbins put the car in park and got out, rushing to the door. It was obvious to Sable and Remus that the woman was in a hurry to get to the Ministry. When they finally got into the house, Mrs. Robbins was pulling on her Ministry robes.

"I've got to go, baby." she told Sable.

"Should you guys be back for dinner?" Sable asked pleadingly.

"You're not going to try and cook, are you?" Carol asked suspiciously, remembering the last time her daughter had tried to cook.

"And burn the house down? Mom, are you crazy?" Sable questioned. "I'll order something and go get it, but I'm not gonna try to cook again! I like this house and don't want to see it reduced to cinders and ashes." Carol smiled as Remus tried to hide a grin.

"Well, there's some sandwiches in the fridge if you two get hungry, and money on the table for dinner. Your father and I probably won't be back before early morning." Sable frowned and crossed her arms like a spoiled child. "But don't worry, we're all going to be home to eat tomorrow evening." Sable brightened up at the thought of getting to spend time with her parents.

"Okay. Bye mom." she said.

"Be careful, Mrs. Carol." Remus added.

"I'm always careful, dear." she said with a grin. "It's my daughter you have to worry about."

"Bye, mom." Sable growled, cutting her eyes at her mother playfully. "See you later."

"Bye, kids. I'll tell Robert you said hello." With that last thought, she dis-Apparated with an audible 'pop'. Sable stood there, shaking her head at her mother's attempts at picking on her. Beside her, Remus was still smiling.

"What?" she asked.

"You can't cook?" he asked. Sable's face colored and she started twiddling her thumbs, a bad habit she had picked up from some of the younger kids she tutored.

"Uhh….as a matter of fact….I can't." she mumbled. "The last time I tried to, I almost burnt down our house, and I was only making toast!" 

"So you can brew a potion to keep werewolves sane, but you can't make toast?" he asked skeptically.

"Rub it in, why don't ya?" Sable muttered as they walked into the kitchen. "Besides, your mom's a great cook, so I'm sure you know something about cooking, am I right?" Sable turned to her boyfriend, who had a skeptical look on his face.

"Right…" he trailed off, remembering his own failed cooking attempts which usually led to his mother booting him out of the kitchen. "Didn't your mom say she left money for dinner?"

"Well, yeah. But what's the point in ordering if we can cook dinner?" she asked.

"Love, my culinary talents are just about as impressive as yours, even when I do use magic." Sable blanched and spotted the money on the counter, next to her mother's car keys. Ordering take out was starting to sound REAL good.

"So," she said, stuffing the bills in her jean pockets along with the car keys. "Where we going for dinner?"

"No clue." he answered. "You live around here. Not me. But come to think of it, I have heard Padfoot and Prongs talk about some place in town named _Chez's._ How's that sound?"

"_Chez's_? Not a bad idea, actually." she said. "It's Muggle, but they've got good food. _Chez's _ it is then. Let's go." They grabbed their coats and walked out the door, Sable dangling the keys in her hand.

"You know how to drive?" He asked, eyeing the automobile skeptically.

"Sure do." she said. "What are we gonna do after we eat?"

"Don't know. How about we go drop in at James'. I'm wondering what he and Lily are up to." Remus said, buckling the seatbelt.

"I thought Lily was spending her vacation at home, not with James." Sable said as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

"She's supposed to, but James told me that Lily has been having problems with her sister Petunia, especially now that she's about to leave."

"And?"

"And I have a feeling that James is going to be using any and all means to get Lily at his house for the break." Remus finished.

"What's his plan? Lily's parents aren't going to just let her stay with James all break?" Sable pointed out.

"She's not going to stay there all of break." Remus said. "James told me that he was going to use some kind of excuse about the Head Boy and Girl having to plan some stuff for graduation. He just wants to get her out of Petunia's way until break is over with."

"Think it'll work?" 

"Oh, yeah. Lily's parents absolutely adore James." Remus said. "They trust him. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Lily was with them right now."

"You sound awful sure of yourself. You know something I don't?" Sable asked.

"James was bringing Sirius with him when he went to go get Lily." Remus chuckled. 

"Oh, no!" Sable groaned. "Mrs. Daisy won't know what hit her!" Sirius had a habit of trying to charm the ladies, no matter what their age was. And Sable knew that Lily favored her mother almost exactly. Sirius had already admitted that if James hadn't had made a move for Lily when he did, that he would have done it. And Sable figured that Sirius would try his charm on Lily's mom, just to see what would happen. "Knowing Sirius, he'll be his most charming self, and have Mrs. Daisy eating out of the palm of his hand."

"I don't doubt it." Remus muttered. "But Lily didn't seem to mind the idea, as long as she got away from Petunia. She said something about Sirius charming his way into heaven, but she didn't care as long as she got to show them off in front of Petunia and that dolt Dursley."

"Showing them off?" Sable asked. "What?"

"Yeah," Remus grinned. "She said when two of Hogwart's best looking guys come to HER, it'll make Petunia green with jealousy." 

"Humph. We should go by there and get you to go as well." Sable grinned. "That would really get old Petunia going."

"Do I detect a hint of distaste about Petunia and Dursley?" Remus teased.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you do." Sable grimaced. "Lily's told me about her, and her skewed views on human normality. I have to say, the girl is quite dense. In fact…..I wonder if lily left yet for James' house?"

"What are you thinking?" Remus asked, eyeing the evil smile on Sable's face. He'd seen that smirk before, and he knew what was going to happen…..Hell was about to open up and swallow someone. And he had a vague feeling it was going to be Petunia Evans and Vernon Dursley. "Sable?"

"Hold on, love." she smiled, pulling the car over near a telephone booth. "We might be going to James' before we eat." Sable grabbed some change from her pocket and went to the booth, leaving Remus in the car to try and figure out what was going through her head. 

"What is she up to?" Remus asked himself as he watched her deposit the money and punch in the numbers to someone's house. The phone must have rang a few times until someone picked it up. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but when a huge smiled came across her face, Remus knew something was up. After about five minutes, he shook his head as she hung up the phone and came back into the car.

"Well?" he asked. "What's going on?"

"Lily is still at her house." Sable said, cranking up the car. "Along with Petunia, Vernon Dursley, and his sister Marge.

"And?'

"And we just had a change of plans, my love." Sable smiled. "You feel like playing some pranks this evening?"

"On who?"

"Petunia and Dursley." she said. "With James' and Sirius' help of course."

"Sure." Remus said. "What do I need to do?"

"Just leave it to me, Lily, and Bella." she said, pulling back onto the street and heading back towards Godric's Hollow. "But first we've got to go James' house."

"Do James and Sirius know about this yet?" 

"Not yet. That's why we're on our way over there now."

"What are you up to, Sable?" Remus asked, trying to figure out how her mind was working.

"You'll see." she said. "Petunia Evans is going to get her just desserts tonight."

"What's the plan?"

"Well, this is how it's gonna go…."

By the time Sable and Remus had gotten to the Potters' house, Remus was reminding himself never to get Sable pissed at him. They parked the car and walked up the steps to James house, then knocked on the door. A few seconds later, a the door swung open to reveal a small house elf standing in the doorway.

"Ohhh!" it cried, recognizing Remus' familiar friendly face. "Master Remus, sir! Please come in! How can Dammie help you and the young misses, sir?" Remus and Sable walked in and the elf shut the door. 

"We need to speak with James." Remus said kindly. "Can you tell him we're here, please?" The elf nodded and quickly ran out of the room. A few minutes later, James and Sirius clamored into the room, a huge grin on Sirius' face and a frown on James'"

"Something wrong, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Yeah. I just got an owl from Lily telling me to wait a while to come and get her because Petunia's got that dolt of a Dursley with her!" James fumed. "She said not to come get her yet! Why?"

"I believe I have something to do with that, James." Sable said.

"What?"

"Listen to me, James." Sable said. "You know as well as the rest of us that Petunia has been giving Lily all kinds of Hell, especially as of lately."

"Yeah.."

"Well, how would you feel if we could get back at Petunia and Dursley for some of those horrid things they say and do to Lily?" 

"I'd say why didn't you tell me earlier." James said immediately. "What's going on?" 

"You in on this, Sirius?" Sable asked, looking at the taller boy.

"Of course." he said, smiling and rubbing his hands together. 

"What's got you in such a vindictive mood?" James asked suddenly.

"Lily told me about a letter that Petunia had sent her a couple of days ago." Sable said, reigning her temper in at the memory of Lily's tear stained face when she finished the letter from her sister. "There was some particularly nasty stuff in there, and Petunia and Dursley need to be reprimanded."

"What was in the letter?"

"Petunia basically told her off for being different." Sable said. "Called her an ugly freak who could never amount to anything. Said the only reason she had kept you as a boyfriend is because you are using her of her brains, cause you're not keeping her around for looks. Called her a whore for hanging around the Marauders. Things like that."

"Yeah, that coming from someone who's face resembles the rump of a horse!" Sirius exclaimed. "And marrying a guy who is bigger around than he is tall!" James was just fuming.

"That's what had her so grumpy and upset the other day?" Remus asked. "She never said anything to us about it."

"Yeah. Petunia hurt her when she called her an ugly freak." Sable said. "That's not exactly something a girl wants to hear from her sister."

"What do we need to do?" James asked.

"I called Lily before we got here." Sable said. "Petunia and Dursley are gonna be there all evening, and we're going to make an appearance, because we're all going out tonight."

"We are?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, we are." Sable said. "In fact, Sirius, go see if you can get Arabella and bring her here. I'm going to need her expertise on this."

"Okay. What do I tell her?"

"That Petunia Evans is about to get it back in her face, full force. That's all you need to say." Sirius nodded and disappeared through the fireplace.

"What do we do, love?" Remus asked.

"For now, you wait."

"What?" James asked. "My Lily is being subjected to constant and utter degradation, and you tell me to wait!?"

"We're back." Sirius shouted, stumbling out of the fireplace, a glowering Bella by his side. "What'd we miss?"

"Where is that horse faced tart?!" Bella growled. "I'll show her ugly and worthless!"

"Bella, calm down." Sable said. "You'll get your claws in her soon enough. As for you three, I want you to come up with some subtle, yet good pranks to pull on the horse and the screwball she's marrying. Can you do that?"

"Of course." James said. "But how's that helping."

"You're going to plant them in Lily's house this evening before we leave. But I also need all three of you to get your best set of Muggle clothes out and ready. You are all about to be exploited horribly." she grinned. "Make sure you look like the handsome little devils that you are?"

"Is there a reason for that?" Sirius asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell us why?" James asked.

"You'll find out when we get to Lily's." she said mysteriously. "Just do it."

"Time limit?" Remus asked. Sable thought for a minute and then looked at the clock.

"Come to Lily's house in two hours." Sable said. "And make sure you have your wands and the pranks. That enough time for you all to get something together?"

"Plenty of time." Sirius said, grabbing James and Remus by the collar and dragging them upstairs. "We've got work to do gentlemen. Let's get started!" When they were out of sight, Bella turned to Sable.

"What are we supposed to do?" Bella asked.

"We are going to take a trip to Lily's." she said, pulling a couple of pictures out of her pocket. "And show her some photos I've just received of the lot of us during the Halloween Ball and some other times." Bella took the pictures and flipped through them. They were all of Lily and the Marauders.

"You obviously know something I don't." Bella said. "Spill!"

"Well, it seems as though our dear Petunia caught a glimpse of some pictures of James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter that Lily had kept in her room. Apparently, she gawked at them for an hour, then asked Lily 'who the cute guys were'. When Lily told her, Petunia scoffed and rolled her eyes, telling Lily that 'the boys are cute, but can't be friends with an ugly witch like you, let alone a boyfriend'." Bella's face suddenly lit up in understanding.

"I see where this is going." the Ravenclaw Prefect said happily.

"I figured you would."

"So we are basically going to get to parade Hogwarts three best looking guys around in front of Petunia, thus making her jealous and mad? Right?" she asked.

"Yup. And seeing as how Lily's father is at work today, and her mother will be leaving after we pick her up, I'm getting the boys to leave a few….surprises for the horse and the screwball."

"You're sadistic, you know that." Bella said. "Sometimes I really do think you should have been put into Slytherin."

"I'm not sadistic, just loyal." Sable said. "As for Slytherin House, I wouldn't have been put in there, I'm not a pureblood. Now, let's go to Lily's." The two girls grinned and immediately dis-Apparated to a small park right next to Lily's house.

~~~Meanwhile in James' room…~~~

"….stupid Muggle girl!" James muttered angrily. "Talking about Lily like that! She should hex the stupid gits into oblivion! That would teach them a lesson they'd never…."

"James!" Remus barked. "if you don't focus on what you're doing, you're not going to be able to help pull this off." James quit muttering as they went through is pranking supplies.

"You do realize we're being used and exploited, right?" Sirius asked, looking at a pack of Dungbombs.

"Who cares, as long as whatever Sable has planned works." James said. "I don't care at the moment!"

"What is she planning anyway?" Sirius asked, turning to Remus.  
"I don't know, and I'm not particularly keen o finding out till it's over with…"

~~~Lily's house…~~~

Sable straightened her shirt as she knocked on the door, waiting to be let in. Beside her, Bella was grinning happily. The door opened to an ecstatic looking Lily.

"Got'em?' she asked. "Petunia is driving me batty, along with Vernon and his sister Marge." Bella handed her the pictures and smiled.

"One stack of pictures featuring Lily Evans and the Marauders, at your service." she said. Lily quickly flipped through the stack, a smile on her face.

"Good, come on in." Lily said. "My mom is in the sitting room, and dad's at work. Petunia, Dursley, and Marge are in there with her having tea. Time to get this started." 

Sable and Bella followed Lily into the house, but ran into Petunia and Vernon as they came into the kitchen.

"Who are you?" Petunia asked Sable and Bella, a sneer on her face.

"Petunia, this is Arabella Figg and Sable Robbins." Lily said through clenched teeth. "Friends of mine from school."

"You're those freaks that think you're witches and can do magic, aren't you?" Vernon Dursley guffawed. "Nutters, the whole lot of you." Sable felt her blood boil at the insult and had to stop herself from hexing the annoying man into his next lifetime.

"What are you doing here, freaks?" Petunia sneered, looking down her nose at the three girls in front of her. "You've no business here."

"They are here on my invitation, Petunia." Lily said stonily. "Leave them alone."

"We came to get ready." Arabella said. "The three of us are going out tonight, and Lily's boyfriend is coming with us." 

"You're going to have more of these damned freaks in this home?" Vernon screeched. "How dare you invite these abnormal beings into Petunia's home? They are trouble I tell you, nothing but trouble!"

"Wouldn't it be nice if you would remember that this is also Lily's home, you fat git!" Arabella snapped. "And as a guest, it is rude to be yelling and demeaning other guests in a home that is not even yours." Vernon looked abashed and Petunia hissed again.

"Get out of here, you freaks." she said, going back into the sitting room with Vernon in tow. Lily only shrugged and followed behind her, much to Petunia's displeasure.

"Mum?" Lily said. "I'd like you to meet the friends I'm going with tonight." Daisy Evans turned around and smiled at the two girls next to her youngest daughter. "This is Sable Robbins and Arabella Figg. Guys, this is my mum, Daisy Evans."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans." Arabella said kindly, shaking her hand.

"How do you do?" Sable asked, smiling at her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." she said, smiling at the girls. She gestured to the other occupants of the room. "Girls, this is Petunia, my eldest daughter, and her fiancée Vernon Dursley. And this is Marge, Vernon's sister."

"Yes, I see the resemblance." Sable smiled kindly, looking at the sour expression on Marge's face. "Pleasure is all mine." Arabella only nodded and said nothing. 

"Mum, I have some pictures from school if you want to see them." Lily said, handing her mother the photos. "The girls and I are going to get ready for tonight. James should be over here in a few hours to get us."

"That's find, dear." Mrs. Evans said, taking the photos and glancing over them.

"When you finished with them, just leave them on the table. I'll get them later." Lily said. "We'll be in my room if you need me, mum." Mrs. Evans smiled as she set the photos on the table and the girls left to go up the stairs to Lily's room. When they were out of earshot, Sable laughed. 

"You know that your mum's gonna show Petunia and the rest of the room those pictures." Sable pointed out, being glad she had charmed them to look like still Muggle pictures.

"Of course. Why do you think I left them there?" Lily said. "Ever since Petunia say the pictures of the boys, she's been enamored with them."

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" Sable snickered. 

"So where we going tonight?" Bella asked, turning to Sable as they entered Lily's room.

"Just to eat." Sable said. "We might go to the park afterwards."

"All Muggle?" Bella asked.

"Yeah."

"Well then ladies," Lily smiled, throwing open her closet. "Let's get started.!" Sable groaned, knowing Bella was itching to get her hands on Lily's extensive clothes collection and force her into trying on fifty different outfits before she was satisfied. _'The things I do to keep my friends happy.'_ she thought as Bella jumped into the closet and started throwing clothes out.

~~Two hours later…~~

By the time the girls finished, the doorbell was ringing.

"Petunia!" Lily yelled. "Can you get that?" A grumbled was heard from the stairs and the girls grinned as they heard the doorbell ring again. "Thank you, Petunia!" she called, stifling her laughter when she heard James' voice float up the stairs. Sable was grinning and Bella was beside herself in glee. Vernon and Marge had left an hour ago, and Lily's mom was finished getting ready to go to a friend's home to help with some babysitting, leaving Petunia and Lily alone.

"Wonder if she's drooling yet?" Arabella snickered.

"Let's take a peek and find out." Lily said, sticking her head around the corner and looking down the staircase. Below them, James was getting a hug from Mrs. Evans while the other two boys looked on, with grins on their faces. Apparently, they had caught onto why they were being brought into the whole charade by the look on Petunia's face. 

"Are all of you here to get Lily?" Petunia managed to choke out, looking from one guy to the next, with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Well, James was the one that was supposed to come get her and the girls," Remus said, smiling kindly at Petunia, "But Sirius and I figured we'd come along as well, Lily never minds. And the girls are good friends of ours anyways."

"Yeah, they might pull you two away and let me spend some time with Lily on my own." James mumbled. Upstairs the girls were hardly containing their mirth. The boys were acting just as charming as ever, and Lily thought Petunia was about to collapse when the fact hit her that they were here to get her and the other 'freaks'.

The boys had taken Sable's advice and dressed casually, but still dressy enough to impress. James in khaki's and a dark green shirt. Sirius, who was liking up to his last name, was dressed in black baggy jeans and a deep blue button up shirt. Remus was sin a pair of dark jeans and white shirt with a black jacket over it. _'Definitely a trio of handsome little devils, aren't they?' _ Sable thought with a smile. _'And the cutest ones all mine.'_

"Petunia, will you show the boys to the sitting room, while I go get Lily and the girls?" Mrs. Evans asked. 

"Of course, mother." Petunia said, staring at the boys, still trying to comprehend the fact that these three gorgeous males were friends with her freak of a sister. Petunia tried to calm herself, but it didn't work. "If you'll come this way, please." She motioned for the boys to follow her, and they did. Meanwhile, Lily and the other two slipped back into her room to wait for her mother. A knock on the door a few moments later told them that Daisy Evans was there.

"You're friends are here, Lily darling." her mother called. "I'm leaving out now. They are in the sitting room with Petunia."

"Not a problem, mum." Lily said opening the door and smiling at her mom. "We're on our way down there now."

"Very well." Daisy said. "Although is seems as though James brought back up this time. Two other boys are with him. I believe their names are Sirius and Remus."

"Oh, yeah, mum. They're friends from school."

"They're such polite young men, and quite handsome looking as well." her mother said, grinning at her daughter.

"Mum! That's my friends down there!" Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm teasing, Lily." she said. "Just be careful when you go out tonight."

"Curfew?" Lily asked, frowning.

"Well, considering you are with a group of people, and James is with you, don't worry about it. Just be home before I get up in the morning." Daisy smiled and Lily hugged her. 

"Thanks, mum." she said. "You're the best."

"I know." Daisy said with a sigh. "Now don't keep James waiting, and get down there before your sister has a heart attack."

"What's wrong with Petunia?" Sable asked innocently. "Is she okay?" Mrs. Evans grinned and turned her back. 

"Oh, she's fine." Lily's mother laughed, going down the stairs. "I just think she's in temporary shock. Have a good evening girls." Lily looked at her two friends and grinned.

"I hope it's permanent shock." she said, following her mother down the steps with Sable and Bella behind her. "Let's go rescue the boys, I'm sure Petunia's saccharine sweetness is giving them cavities by now."

When they got to the sitting room, Petunia was talking to Sirius and batting her eyes at him often. Arabella could see the disgusted look on Sirius' face, and quickly broke the silence. Sable had sent them an owl an hour ago, telling them to act like James had picked up Sirius and Remus on his way over. She also told them to just play along with whatever she said. It looked like they were doing just that.

"Hey fellas." Arabella said, smiling at the relieved look on their faces. "Decided to crash James' and Lily's date again, I see."

"Yeah, hope you don't mind, Lily." James said sheepishly. "I just kinda ran into them on my way here."

"Of course I don't mind!" Lily exclaimed, going over to give James and hug and a kiss, much to Petunia's surprise. "They'll give something for Sable and Bella to do."

"Oh, you two pretty girls are coming as well?" Sirius asked sidling up to Bella and putting his arm around her waist. "We don't mind the extra company, do we, Remus?"

"Not a bit." Remus said, a grin on his face. "I'd rather look at them than James' ugly mug any time of the day or night."

"What say you, girls?" Lily asked, turning to Sable and Bella. "Wanna come see if you can keep these two rogues in line for tonight?"

"Well…."

"I don't know…."

"Come on, Bella." Sirius pleaded, trying the puppy dog look. "How can you say no to this face?"

"Like this." Arabella teased. "N…"

"We'll go." Sable said, stopping an argument before it started. "No need to start the arguing."

"But I like it when she's mad." Sirius pouted. "She's more fun when she's riled up and mad at me."

"Am I now?" Arabella glowered, looking at the boy who stood a head taller than her. Sirius leaned down and kissed her softly, making Petunia stare even harder. The girl was practically green with jealousy, seeing that Sirius was obviously taken. So, she turned to Remus and smiled, which made Sable walk over to him and peck him on the cheek.

"Yeah, you are." Sirius said smugly.

"Well, we better get going." Remus said, slipping an arm around Sable. "Or we're going to be late." Lily nodded in agreement and grabbed a light jacket as they herded towards the front door. Petunia followed behind them slowly, letting the scene of three of the most gorgeous guys she had ever seen walkout of her house with her little sister and two of her sisters friends.

"I'll be back sometime tonight, Petunia." Lily said absently, loving the jealousy showing in her older sister's face. 

"You've got a curfew." Petunia pointed out coldly, coming to her senses when she heard Lily's voice.

"Uh, actually, her mom said that as long as she's with James and the rest of us, she can stay out as long as she wants to." Arabella added sweetly. "The advantages of being with a group of legal aged wizards and witches help out greatly." 

"But…" Petunia started.

"Yeah, James is Head Boy and Lily's Head Girl." Sable said innocently. 

"Not to mention the Arabella being a Prefect." James added.

"And me and Sirius being the two best duelers of the school." Remus said smugly. "We know enough hexes and curses to send anyone into the hospital for a few weeks, so there is nothing to worry about."

"I don't think anything is going to happen to Lily." Sirius said, looking at Petunia, a cold glint in his eyes. "Anyone who even looks at her the wrong way, much less say anything demeaning about her will have to deal with the three of us." He pointed to himself, Remus and James.

"That is if there is anything left after Lily, Bella, and Sable finish with them." James said easily. "Those three can be mean when they want to be, especially Sable."

"Yeah, I'll eat you alive if you're not careful." Sable snickered, grinning at Petunia enough to show the pearly white, still slightly elongated canines in her mouth from the transformation a few days ago.

"You'd think the girl was a ravaging wolf or something when she gets angry enough." James said. "She's just scary." By now, Petunia was literally quaking in her shoes. She was as pale as the Hogwarts ghosts and trembling in fear as she looked at the six teenagers in front of her.

"Well, have a good evening." Petunia said, giving them a weak smile and then bolting up the stair like a hippograff was after her. When they heard the door to Petunia's room slam shut, they busted out in laughter.

"That was priceless!" Lily said between laughing at her sister. "She was terrified. I've never seen her that white before!"

"She is gullible, isn't she?" Remus chuckled.

"You alright, Lily?" James asked, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling. 

"Perfectly fine, James." Lily smiled. "Couldn't be better."

"Do you think she's wet herself yet?" Arabella snickered. "She sure looked like she was going to there for a minute."

"Can we go plant the pranks now?" Sirius asked. Lily nodded and showed them back to the sitting room while she stood by the banister to make sure Petunia wasn't coming down. 

"Do your worst, boys." she grinned. "Just make sure you don't destroy anything. My parents will be home later, and I want it to look like Petunia's responsible." 

"Not a problem, love." James said, pulling out a pack of Dungbombs. "Let us get to work. You just make sure your horse of a sister isn't coming back down here."

"We can do that." Sable said, eyeing Lily happily. "Not a problem at all." The boys grinned and slipped back into Lily's sitting room. After about ten minutes, they came back out, looking as smug as ever. They left the house, making sure to slam the door for Petunia to know that they had left. When they got outside, Lily turned to the Marauders with a grin.

"What did you put in there?" she asked.

"Oh, just a few Dungbombs here and there…" Remus chirped.

"And some fireworks for color…." Sirius added.

"And a few packets of Zonko's _Ultra Permanent Totally Invisible Stick'em Glue_." James said happily. 

"Where did you put them?" Sable asked, but the boys were saved an answer when they heard Petunia's scream from inside the house. The six teens turned around and watched from behind a tree as Petunia ran out of the house screaming, a sparkling orange-red firework on her heals. They stayed there until the firework burnt out, then walked along the sidewalk until they found a good place to Apparate. It was going to be a very good Easter Break.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And indeed it was a good break for all of the students. James got Lily away from her sister as much as he possibly could, and the entire group had gotten together a few times. Sable's mom and dad had managed to get the Wednesday of the Easter break off, and spent it with Sable and Remus all day in Diagon Alley and Muggle London. They were home for dinner most nights of the week, and Sable was happy that her family liked Remus so much. Now, it was the Friday before they were to return to school, and Sable and Remus were lounging around her house, resting up for the trip back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow.

"Remus?" Sable asked, closing the book she was reading and glancing over at her boyfriend, who was watching television.

"Yeah?" 

"I'm bored." she said. "Want to go for a walk?" Remus turned around and nodded.

"Sure. There's nothing on television anyway." he said, getting up and stretching. Both of Sable's parents were at work, and would be until later on that evening. Bella was with Sirius, James, and Lily, all at James' house, but neither Remus or Sable wanted to go over there. They had declined the offer, not really wanting to get into the middle of some scheme they were probably cooking up. Sable grabbed her house keys and they left, walking down the lane and to the bank of a small river that flowed on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. As they walked down the bank, Remus slipped his arm around Sable's waist.

"Are you ready for school to start up again?" he asked.

"Sort of." she answered, leaning in on him. "I'm ready for it to be over with, to be honest. But I'm not looking forward to leaving Hogwarts. Does that make sense?"

"Yes." he said. "I know what you mean. Hogwart's is like my true home now. I don't want to leave it."

"What about your mom?" she asked. "Won't she be happy to see you again?"

"Oh, she'll be happy." he said. "I don't doubt that. But things are changing so fast. It's like just yesterday that I started Hogwarts, and now I'm leaving."

"I know." Sable said. "I can remember the day I got porridge poured on my head, compliments of the Marauders. Lily was furious that you'd done that to me. I'll never forget it."

"I remember that." Remus chuckled. "We were all in the Great Hall, and she lit into James and Sirius like there was no tomorrow. I never knew an eleven year old girl could get so frightening."

"She was something now." Sable mumbled. "Some things never change."

"I do believe that was the day poor ole James fell in love with her." Remus smiled, remembering the dazed look on his friend's face after that. "He'd finally found someone who would stand up to him. He liked the fight in her, still does." 

"I really don't think that's ever going to change." Sable commented. They were quiet for a few moments before Remus broke the silence again.

"Remember when you finally figured out what I was?" he asked. "That day that James and I came dragging into the Great Hall at breakfast?" Sable smiled and shook her head.

"How can I forget?" she asked. "I felt so stupid for not noticing it earlier."

~~_Flashback~~_

Peter and Sirius were standing at the entrance to the _Great Hall when Sable and Lily approached them. They were grinning broadly, as they waited for the girls to catch up. "Where's Remus and James?" Lily asked. Peter only shrugged and told her they would be to breakfast later. Lily hadn't found out about the lycanthropy yet. The four teens entered the hall and sat down at the table for breakfast. Ten minutes later, Remus and James came tumbling into the Hall. They made it to the table, but Remus still had not figured out how, even after all this time. He sat beside of Sable, giving her a weak grin. She looked at him with a critical eye, noticing the hollow eyes, pale skin, and weakness for the first time since she had ever met him. Sable was startled at his appearance, but had a feeling she knew what had caused it. Remus reached for a pitcher of pumpkin juice, revealing a nasty gash in his arm. Sable had dropped her fork and stared at him with wide eyes. He could remember seeing questions in her dark eyes, but nothing prepared him for what was next. _

Sable grabbed his arm and pulled him up from the table and out of the Hall, over the protests of James. Remus remembered thinking that she seemed awful strong for such a small girl. He was too weak to put up a fight, so he allowed her to pull him into an empty classroom. Sable had pushed him in, locking the door behind them. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You're a werewolf?" she more or less stated it as a fact rather than a question. Remus tried to look shocked, but she had not bought it.

"Don't lie to me either Remus. I can tell when someone is lying to me, so don't even try it." she said.

Remus looked at her carefully. She had not seemed scared, which really surprised him. He looked at her carefully, he was still weak, but he was mad now.

"So what if I am! What's it to you?" he asked with venom in his voice. He tried to stand, but he was too weak from the previous night's blood loss.

"I'll take that as a yes." she said. Remus nodded in defeat, hanging his head.

"How did you know?" he asked her, "Did the others tell you?" Sable shook her head and smiled a little. She fished out her wand and pointed it to her eyes. She muttered a spell and looked back at Remus. He gasped as a realization dawned on him. Usually a deep purple color, Sable's eyes were now the color of his own, deep amber.

"I know the signs. Both of my parents are full blooded wolves, so I know the symptoms when I see them." she said quickly. "Obviously, you've been smart enough to avoid my attention because I haven't noticed the disappearances. But you slipped this morning. I knew something was different when you walked into the Hall, late for breakfast." Remus' head began to whirl uncontrollably as he digested the information in a rush. He was too amazed to see that she also shared the same color eyes as him, so he had not caught half of what she had just said in such a rush.

"Then that would make you a full blooded she-wolf, by birth!" he said in astonishment. 

~~_End Flashback~~_

"I didn't know whether to try to make a run for it, or just sit there." Remus admitted. "I though you would turn on me."

"Well, that just goes to show what you know, now doesn't it?" she asked, punching him lightly. Sable stopped walking and sat down on the bank, staring into the running water. "What's our futures going to be like, Remus?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't know, love." he said. "I really don't know. People like me aren't exactly welcomed with open arms around here, you know that. At least you have some control of your transformation, I don't."

"You could always move to the States." she said nonchalantly. "They are more tolerant of werewolves that the British Ministry is. Look at my parents. They're wolves, and they are two of the Department of Magic's best Aurors."

"Would you ever go back to the States?" he asked, sitting next to her. Sable shrugged and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know." she answered truthfully. "If anything ever happened to my parents, I might. But it would depend on the circumstances."

"Like what?"

"Whether I was married, or had children." she said. "Whether I had a stable job, stuff like that."

"But you're happy here, with us." Remus asked.

"Of course." she said. "I'd only go back to the States as a last resort. Hopefully things will never get that bad, though." Remus only smiled and kissed her, hoping and praying that the time would never come when he would see her leave him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in an empty mansion not far from Godric's Hollow….

"We move in tonight." Voldemort hissed, looking at his surrounding comrades. "I want them all here tonight. Anymore screw ups, and you will pay with your lives. Is that understood?" 

"Yes, my lord." Lucius Malfoy said. "They will all be here, at your feet, tonight. The parents of the girl will be taken after the arrive home. By then, the girl will already be in our custody." 

"What about the werewolf?" Snape asked, lowering the hood on his cloak. 

"Bring him as well." Voldemort said. "The more insurance we have, the better she will cooperate." The Death Eaters nodded in assent and dis-Apparated to begin the capture of their prey. Tonight, the hunter, would be the hunted. "Severus, a moment."

"My lord?" Snape asked, kneeling in front of the evil wizard, "is something the matter?"

"No, my son." he said. "Is the Vertiserum complete and ready to administer?" 

"Yes, my lord." the young man said. "It is at your disposal."

__

"Well done, Severus." Voldemort said. "You have earned my trust a thousand times over. The girl is yours if you so wish to have her. I know she strikes your fancy so to speak."

"My lord, I …." Snape didn't know what to say. He respected Sable Robbins as a student, even feared her to a point after seeing her transformation with his own eyes, but what his master was suggesting was….indecent. "I know not what to say."

"She is yours to do whatever you please." Voldemort said. "Your allegiance to me is unwavering, do not disappoint me, Severus. I want her to be broken, completely at my whim. I am sure that I can trust you to do this when she arrives."

"Of course, my lord." Severus said, his heart actually starting to feel guilty. "If it is your wish, then I will do it."

"It is what I wish." he said coldly. "I'm sure you will take great pleasure out of breaking her will in front of the eyes of that werewolf. Enjoy yourself, Severus." And with that, Voldemort stood from the raised dais he had been sitting on and slipped into the darkness of the shadows.

"Of course, my lord." Snape said, leaving the room, his mind in a whirl. "As you wish."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

A/N - Okay, here's the next chapter for your reading enjoyment. I hope you guys are ready for the proverbial sh** to hit the fan, because it's about to happen. Until next time,

Later,

A.A.

Oh, and if anyone is actually reading this, I'd like to know. The last two chapters I've posted got no reviews. I just want to know if anyone is still reading this story -or if the chapters were that bad!-. I'm going to finish it either way, but still………

Thanks guys


	42. Chapter 42

_Disclaimer- It's not mine. Never was._

_A/N - I hope you guys are still with me. Here is the next chapter, and I hope ya'll like it. This story is winding down, and I'm finished writing it. I've just got to type the chapters and put them up._

_Oh, and just so that everyone knows -and I don't get flamed!- this chapter should probably be rated 'R' because of references to rape, as well as consensual couplings. I'm sorry if anyone finds this offensive, but it has to be for the way I want the story to work out. _

_So, if you don't want to read something that deals with a very adult situation, please skip down to the bottom where the chapter ends, and I'll go over the highlights of what happened in the chapter._

_Once again, if you are not allowed to read something like this, then please skip to the bottom. I don't want anyone flaming me because they are not mature enough to handle something that unfortunately happens to people._

_ Later,_

_A.A._

__

Chapter 42

Sable and Remus spent the evening on the bank of the river and walking through the forest surrounding the little village, talking and watching the sun sink below the horizon. They had spent more time than intended away from her house, and it was already dark when they wound up going back. They had spent a pleasant evening with each other, and felt as though they were ready to face Hogwarts again, now that the vacation was nearly over with.

As they walked up the lane to her house, Sable noticed that it was still dark, which was odd considering she had thought her parents would be home by now.

"Shouldn't your mum and dad be back by now, love?" Remus asked as they walked up the driveway. "It's nearly nine o'clock."

"I thought they were, to be honest." Sable said, pulling her key from her pocket and inserting it into the doorknob. "They might have been caught up at the office or something. It wouldn't surprise me if they did. But mom usually sends me and owl if she's going to be late. This is just odd." Sable pulled the door open and flicked the light switch on, effectively illuminating the living room of the small cottage like house. Unfortunately, what caught their attention was not exactly anyone would want to see.

On the floor, in the very center of the living room, were Robert and Carol Robbins, gagged and bound by ropes. On each of their sides were two broken pieces of wood, the only thing left of their wands. All around them, chairs were turned over and mirrors were broke. It looked like someone had went on a rampage in the house. There were scorch marks on the walls were some ill-aimed spells had collided with the sheet-rock, and pieces of shattered porcelain on the far end of the floor where Carol Robbins china doll collection had been.

"What in the bloody Hell happened here?!" Remus shouted, running to the two squirming parents to untie their bindings. "Are you guys okay?!"

"Mom! Dad!" Sable yelled, running beside her boyfriend to kneel beside the two gagged adults. "What's going on?" Before either of the adults could say anything, another person made themself known in the house.

"Take another step, and they're as good as dead." Came a drawling voice from behind the crouching teenagers. "That goes for you two brats as well." Sable and Remus froze in front of Carol and Robert Robbins, unwilling to move. Sable heard the footsteps falling behind her as a black cloaked, white masked Death Eater walked up behind her and Remus, and jerked the two of them from their kneeling positions on the floor, turning them to face the two other Death Eaters in the room, grabbing their wands from their pockets in the process.

"What do you want with us?" Sable demanded, her rage at seeing the murderers in her home. "Now what are you after?"

"Silence, you insolent half-breed!" her captor said, pulling back his hand and slapping her as heard as he could. Sable reeled from the hit and hit the ground hard. Remus growled and lunged at his girlfriend's captor, more protective of her than ever due to the bond they shared, but the other two cloaked individuals quickly pulled their wands and secured Remus in ropes, placing him next to Sable's parents. Sable, after being pulled up from the floor, gagged and bound with ropes, watched as the cloaked men manhandled her boyfriend and parents, unable to say anything.

"We've got them all." said the apparent leader of the group. "Let's get out of here." The other two men nodded in silent agreement and latched onto their victim's collars before Dis-Apparating to Merlin knew where. Sable cried out as they disappeared, but her captor shut her up quickly.

"Now, now, there is no need to cry, my pretty." He cooed, stroking a finger down her cheek. "Your family and that blasted wolf will be fine as long as you cooperate with us." Chills ran down her as the man's hands moved lower and lower until they rested on the waistband of her blue jeans. "Perhaps if you're a good little girl, we will get to play a little game. I know I've been waiting for a long time to get my hands on you." Sable growled and tried to jerk away from the man, but only succeeded in causing the ropes to tighten and cut into her skin. She could feel nothing but revulsion at her captor, and wondered frantically what was going on, and why they were looking for her again. The men laughed and pulled her back to him.

"Feisty little thing aren't you? No matter, after my Lord is finished with you, you will happily succumb to what I have planned for you." He laughed as another shiver passed through her before they Disapparated and landed in the front of a manor that Sable had never seen before. Her heart was beating nonstop, and there was beads of sweat forming on her face from fear.

When they arrived at the gate to the mansion, the Death Eaters levitated their captures through the wrought iron fence and into the vast house. Sable's heart was pounding in her chest, and she started to struggle violently. Beside her, she could hear both of her parents squirming, as well as Remus. Their low pitched growls went unheard to the Death Eaters, but she knew that if any of them got loose from their captors, someone was going to die. She jerked again as the man carrying her moved closer to the door. A sharp blow to her shoulder blades caused her to wince and stop squirming.

"Behave yourself, girl." One of the men snarled. "Our Lord likes good little, well behaved ladies." Sable growled and continued to struggle until one of the men stopped in the hallway, and turned to her, raising his hand to slap her face.

"Bitch! I told you to be still!" He yelled, bringing his hand down to slap her, but another hand shot out from another new Death Eater and stopped her assailant.

"I suggest you control yourself, my brother." The new man said calmly. "Our Lord ordered her capture without hurting her. Do you want to chance his wrath for leaving a mark on the girl?" Sable looked to her Death Eater turned protector and frowned, wondering why they still wanted her unhurt. It didn't make any sense. These men were murderers, and yet their supposed 'leader' wanted her unharmed? _'Where's the bloody sense in that?'_ she thought angrily.

"Throw them in the holding cells." Growled her protector. "Our Lord will be here shortly to do as he pleases with them."

"Separate them from each other as well." One of the others said. The remaining two Death Eaters that had been accompanying them said nothing, only nodded in understanding and took a pair. "And no one is to put their hands on the girl!"

Sable watched as her and Remus was taken down into the bowels of the mansion along with her parents. Once they reached a staircase, the Death Eater with her parents took a sharp left turn while her own captor continued to follow the stairs downward. It was not long after that when she and Remus were thrown into separate cells, and the Stunning spells removed. _'This is bad.'_ she thought grimly. _'This is really, really, really bad!'_

__

Remus shook off the affects of the Stunning spell and looked around, taking in the damp, humid cell he had been thrown into. The room was small, just big enough for him to stretch out, and tall enough to stand, but that was it. The confined space did not allow for any large amount of movement. On the wall to his left there were two iron rings protruding from the wall, as well as a set of shackles on the floor. The right hand corner was where a pile of soured hay, mixed with rat droppings was placed.

"Remus!" came a strident voice from the hallway. "Are you okay over there?" Remus ran to the door and peered out of the small opening at the top that had been left open, but barred.

"Sable?" he asked frantically. "Where are you at?"

"I'm in the cell right across from yours." she said loudly. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?"

"I'm fine." he said hastily. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, other than the fact that I'm chained to this damned wall, can't move, and my cell mates just happen to be some of Wormtail's less than desirable family members." she said sarcastically.

"Where are your mum and dad?" He asked.

"I thing they took them to another floor, farther up." she said. "I can't sense them here."

"I can't hear or smell them anymore." Remus said, trying to catch a whiff of the two adults. He suddenly heard the rattle of Sables's holding manacles, and then a curse.

"Bloody Hell!" she yelled. "The bastards actually have some brains left!"

"What's going on?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"I tried changing into my wolf form to get out, but the manacles just readjusted to fit my paws. Fucking bastard Death Eaters!!" She cried. Remus leaned his head up against the cold wall and sighed in frustration and fear. They were being held in a mansion over run by Death Eaters somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and didn't have their wands, or any other form of defense.

"Remus?" Sable asked timidly, the fight nearly gone from her voice.

"Yeah?"

"Remus, I'm scared." she said quietly. "I don't want to be here. I want to go home." Remus sighed once again. It was bad, really bad. Sable never admitted her fears, never. Her voice was low and scared, reminding him of a toddler in the dark instead of a grown witch.

"I know, love." he said. "I'm scared too, but we'll find a way out of this, I promise. We'll get out of here, I know it. Can you move at all with those chains on you?"

"Enough to stand and lie down." She answered. "But I can't stand up because I hit my head on the ceiling, and I don't particularly want to lay in rat droppings."

"Well, try to calm down and get some rest if you can." he said. "There's nothing we can do now, but wait." Remus heard Sable mumble and the rattle of the chains as she moved around in the cell. _'Merlin, we are in trouble now.'_ he thought. _'How are we going to get out of this one?'_

A few hours later...

Sable had actually managed to doze off for a few minutes after being up most of the night, when the door to her cell swung open to reveal a white masked Death Eater. Sable scrambled from her lying position and glared at the man.

"What do you want now?" she snapped. "Come to kill me already?"

"Sable!" Remus called out. "What's going on over there?"

"I've got a visitor." she yelled. "And not a very pleasant one at that!"

"You're coming with me, Ms. Robbins." the man said firmly. "My Lord wishes to see you and your family, as well as that werewolf you're so fond of." The man pulled out his wand an d said a quick succession of spells, effectively silencing Sable and tying her up. "Oh, and if you even try to turn wolf and escape," he said, pulling her into the hallway where her parents and Remus were bound and gagged, "all three die, very slowly. So I suggest you think before you act." Sable glared at the man, then took a closer look at her parents and Remus. They didn't seem any worse for wear, but they sure looked angry as all hell.

The Death Eaters in the hallway led them out of the floor for the holding cells and up numerous flights of stairs until they came to a huge set of double doors The closest man knocked on the oak doors and waited as it was opened by yet another masked figure.

"You've brought them." Came Avery's familiar voice into Remus and Sable's ears. "Excellent! The Master will be pleased." Sable and the others were ushered into the room and placed in the middle of a circle of gathered, masked Death Eaters, who were utterly silent. Avery stood to the right of a platform and raised his hands.

"My brothers, our Master is here. Welcome our leader as such, and with the respect he deserves." he cried. Sable watched, utterly horrified as a tall figure wrapped in a black cloak slipped from the shadows and sat down in an ornate, gilded chair that had been set upon a rased dais at the head of the room. The assembled Death Eaters bowed low to the man, but she and her family and Remus stood absolutely still, glaring at the figure.

_ 'So this is the freakin' psychopath that ordered my parents to attack me.'_ Sable thought, watching as the man sat on the chair. _'He sure seems like a cocky git. What the hell does he want now?'_

The man set on the chair and pulled his head back, revealing a set of serpent like green eyes, and a thin, cruel mouth surrounded by pale skin. Thick black hair, tinged with gray, hung to his shoulders, and an aristocratic nose perched on his face. If it wouldn't be for the fact that Sable knew this was the rumored killer Voldemort, she would have taken him for some aging British aristocrat.

"My Lord Voldemort," said one of the men who had rose to his feet. "You have called us here. We await your orders." Voldemort looked a the bound captives and smiled evilly as his eyes settled on Sable, seeing her jerk as a shiver of fear passed down her body.

"My brothers," the man said, rising from his seat and descending the steps. "We have before us four people who have running through their bodies, the blood of one of the most feared dark creatures f our world, the blood of a werewolf. These four people have been brought here today to find if they will join our cause, turning against the very people who shunned them. The very people who have pushed them away and forced them to keep in secret what they are." Voldemort lifted the silencing spell on the four captives, only to find that they were growling at him. "Your anger is amusing." He said nonchalantly. "But put is aside. I offer you the chance to take your revenge on those that have shunned you. To have a place of securing during a time of war and upheaval. Will you deny your safety?"

"We want nothing to do with you and your schemes, you murderer!" Robert Robbins snarled. "I'd rather die than be one of your sorry lackeys!"

"Quite a temper, Mr. Robbins." Voldemort said easily. "You were a hard one to break those few months ago, that you were. I see your extended stay in St. Mungos has not altered your perception."

"You attacked our daughter." Carol said venomously. "Using us as bait. And now you want us to join your ranks? You are crazy!" Voldemort actually smiled as he looked at the angered woman.

"So is it safe to assume that you decline my offer as well?" he asked.

"Damn straight!" Carol hissed.

"Well, what about you two?" He asked, looking at Remus and Sable, a glint in his eye. "Do you defer as well?"

"Never will I help the likes of you." Remus growled.

"Ms. Robbins?"

"I want nothing to do with you, or those misguided fools you call followers." Sable spat, looking eye to eye with the evil wizard. "The whole lot of you are a bunch of filthy, disgusting murderers." Voldemort smiled and walked to stand in front of the girl.

"The young she-wolf has spirit, even when facing death." he mused. "That is commendable in such a creature like yourself."

"You'll find that creatures like me tend to fight the hardest when they are backed into a corner, or when they know their end is near." she said icily looking straight at him. His evil green eyes bored into her own violet ones, and she felt another tremor go through her body.

"True." the wizard said, seemingly contemplating her words. "How true. But how long will your will to fight hold out? How long before you give up and give out?"

"I can fight as long as I have to." she said evenly, suddenly wondering where thee conversation was heading.

"Even with your family's and boyfriend's life is to forfeit?" he asked. Sable blanched and looked back to her parents and Remus, who had become silent. "Would you continue to fight me, when I hold the lives of the three people you love the most, in my hands?"

"You twisted son-of-a-bitch!" Sable hissed.

"What do you want with her?" Robert Robbins asked, paling considerably. "What do you want from us?"

"Ms. Robbins has been my target since she arrived back at Hogwarts." He said. "One of my most trusted followers told me of her aptitude for potion manipulation which is nearly as great as one of my most trusted followers -possibly even better than-, as well as her rather unique capabilities due to her bloodline. Since then, I have strived to attain her to my purpose. With abilities like hers at my disposal, my army of followers would be nearly unstoppable. The three of you, however, hold no interest for me, and merely got in the way of my plans."

"So I'm the one you want then?" Sable asked. "My parents were used as bait, and Remus is caught up in it because he's my boyfriend?"

"As astute as ever, Ms. Robbins." Voldemort said. "Of course, I would expect no less from an ingenious mind such as yours."

"Then let them go." Sable said. "They're not the ones you want, so let'em go."

"I can't do that." he said coldly.

"Why the Hell not?!" Sable growled.

"They are a sort of insurance, if you will." he explained. "Insurance that you will cooperate with me and become one of my followers. You are a tough young woman, I'll concede that, but you will not let someone suffer because of you. I know that, and so do they." He pointed to her parents and Remus, a maniacal grin on his face.

"Sable, don't listen to him." Remus said quietly. "He's messing with your head."

"Baby," Carol said. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine!"

"Don't give into him, Meadow." her father said gently. "He's just trying to bully you."

"I'm not bullying anyone." Voldemort said. "I am merely giving your lovely daughter an option. Will she hand herself and her abilities over to me, or will she refuse and forfeit your lives, as well as her own because she can't drop her pride and do what is sensible?"

"You bloody bastard!" Remus yelled. "You're going to kill us anyway, whether she accepts or not!"

"Are you sure, young man?" the wizard asked, peering down at Remus. "I am a wizard of my word. You will live if Sabriel accepts." Voldemort watched as shadows of doubt passed over the young woman's mind. "Seeing as how you need some time to think about it, I will give you a few hours to formulate your answer." Voldemort stepped back onto the raised dias and waved his hand. "Bring them back to their holding cells." he said, an evil grin on his fac. "And find some way to entertain Ms. Robbins, will you Avery. She seems to need to work off some excess tension at the moment." Sable felt the chill run down her as someone Stunned her, then a set of hands tug her back towards the door. The whole time, here eyes were locked on Voldemort's as she was pulled out of the room.

They were taken back down to the holding cells and released from the Stunning spells. Sable, absolutely exhausted both physically and mentally, just curled into a ball and tried to shut out the thoughts in her head......and what she knew she would have to do in order to save her parents and Remus.

A few hours later....

(A/N: Okay, here is where the whole adult part starts. If you want to skip it, go to the next little set of squiggles --)

_'We've been back in these damned cells for hours.'_ Remus thought angrily. _' What are they planning on doing to us?'_ He sat back down and waited, but a few minutes later, he heard someone coming into the hallway.

"...fun with her. I can't wait to see how much of a fight she will put up." came one man's voice. "She's a feisty one. Lots of fight in her."

"Too bad she is already accounted for." Came yet another voice. "I'm sure he's going to enjoy humiliating her during her first time. I just wish I would be there to see it."

"Who says she is untouched?" The first one said. "Lupin probably got his claws on her long ago."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" came the other man's voice. "Or at least he will."

"Yes. How I wish I was in his position right now." the first man said, a chuckle in his voice.

_'They're going to rape her!'_ Remus thought frantically, jumping to his feet and squinting through the door. "Sable!! Sable!! Wake up!!"

"Remus?" she called back, her voice oddly devoid of any form of emotion. "What is it?" The two teens had said little to each other after being put back in the cells, and the sudden change in her voice worried Remus. He knew she had been shackled back to the walls, but something else was the matter with her. It was like she was a zombie, devoid of any sort of life.

"There's someone coming for you." he said, searching for the words to express his helplessness at the situation. "They're going to hurt..."

"I know." she said, cutting him off with cold, calculating voice. "I know, Remus."

"Sable...."

"Are you awake, my pretty little wolf?" came the second Death Eater's voice. "Someone wants to see you."

"Leave her alone, you sick bastards!" Remus yelled, beating on the door. "Don't touch her!" The shorter of the two men walked over to Remus' cell, blocking his view of the other man who was going into Sable's cell.

"Worried about your little girlfriend?" he taunted, his voice sinister and low. Remus growled at the man when he heard Sable's struggle across the hall. "Don't worry about her. We'll take good really, really good care of her."

"If you lay one finger on her...." he snarled.

"What'll you do, Lupin?" he barked. "You're locked in a cell, without a wand, and separated from the rest of your little buddies. You're helpless." Remus growled and shook his head, trying to place the familiar voice, when it suddenly hit him as to who stood in front of him.

"Flint!" he said coldly. "You sick bastard! She's never done anything to you! Why are you doing this to her?"

"We'll bring her back soon enough." he said. "It all depends on how well she complies with our wishes." Remus heard the clank of the shackles as the other Death Eater slapped them onto Sable's wrists after subduing her with a Stunning spell. And he also heard a hiss of pain when the spell was released and Sable was conscious of her surroundings again.

"When I get my hands on you...." the werewolf threatened.

"That will never happen." Flint said, pulling the hood of his cloak back to reveal his face. "As soon as Voldemort gets what he wants, you will be disposed of accordingly." Remus growled and looked out at Sable as the Slytherin Quidditch captain moved. She was standing in between the two men, her hands shackled in front of her, and a gag in her mouth. He looked at the chained bracelets and her wrists, blanching completely white.

"You bastards!" he yelled angrily. "Those shackles are silver! You'll kill her!" Sable looked towards Remus' cell, seeing his sparkling blue-amber eyes. She felt her tears come up, knowing what was to come. The silver shackles were burning into her wrists, preventing her from shifting into her wolfish form. She whimpered as the metal touched a raw, red section on her wrist where the metal had already reacted with the dormant lycanthropy in her system, but held her head high, looking right at Remus, pleading for his forgiveness.

"She will be fine." said the other Death Eater who Remus immediately recognized as Avery, another Slytherin student in their year. "Lord Voldemort said for us to keep her entertained and that is what we plan on doing."

"Sable....I'm sorry." Remus said. Sable nodded and tried to smile, and convey that she did not blame him for what was going to happen to her. The Death Eaters led Sable away and Remus fell to the floor after he lost sight of her, helpless to get her away from her captors, and the torture they'd have planned for her. He put his head in his own hands and shook his head, wishing he could hep her. He knew they were going to hurt her, but one thought comforted him somewhat. _'None of those bastards will be her first.'_ he thought, remembering what had happened on the bank of the river a few hours before they had been captured and brought to the mansion. _'That was definitely something that kept us from getting back to her house on time.' _he thought sardonically.

His mind replayed those hours of complete bliss they had shared down by the small river that ran beside Godric's Hollow. Her parents had not gotten home yet, leaving them to their own devices. Sable had been bored, and suggested a walk around the village. Remus had agreed, having nothing better to do during their last few peaceful hours before they had to go back to Hogwarts. Both of them had been riding the waves of hormonal chaos since the full moon almost a week before, but something had seemed different as they sat down on the bank of the river.

He had not known what it was that had finally snapped in the both of them while they were sitting on the riverbank, reminiscing about when they had first met, but things had escalated quickly from a snog session to some major heavy petting. In hindsight, Remus was amazed that the both of them had been able to hold back from each other for so long. Ever since the beginning of the year, he had been so close to her during the full moons and afterwards, even to the point of sleeping in the same bed with her during the week of the transformations after they had gotten together, and they had been able to control themselves and their hormonal impulses.

But that evening was different. Remus did not know if it had been him, or just the simple fact that they were away from Hogwarts, but everything just seemed so right for the two of them...

_Flashback_

_ "Remus, we're out in the open." Sable whispered, running her hands through his already disheveled hair while he kissed her neck. They had started cuddling a few minutes earlier. But it seemed as though one thing had led to another, and now they were snogging in broad daylight. _

_ "So?" he said, concentrating his attention on her, and only her. Sable smiled coyly and pulled away, earning a small growl from her boyfriend._

_ "Come on." she said, pulling him up from their position on the bank of the river.. "I know where we can go, and we won't be seen."_

_End_ _Flashback_

She had taken him to a small place far back into the forest surrounding the village. There were thick shrubs all around, so they were hidden from view. She had used her wand to conjure a cloak and spread it out on the ground, pulling him down with her, and smiling as they resumed their previous activities, now safely away from the prying eyes of her neighbors. It hadn't taken very long before he had started to het heady from the hormones surging through him, causing him to push their snogging and petting to a more risque level. Sable had apparently noticed the change in him , and had not fought it, although he had suspected shw too was feeling just as needy as he had been.

_Flashback_

_ "Are you sure about this?" Remus asked, stopping at the last button that held her shirt on her body. Sable was in his lap, kissing his neck and shoulders and breathing heavily from his ministrations. "We can still stop, if you don't feel comfortable with this." Even though he was secretly hoping she wouldn't ask him to stop, he needed to know that he had her consent before going anywhere else. She looked at him and smiled cockily._

_ "If you stop now, after getting me this worked up, you're gonna have hell to pay, love." she grinned, putting her hands on his and undoing the last button of her shirt, allowing it to fall off her shoulders._

_ "I don't want to hurt you, Sable." he rasped, pulling her closer to him. "I...I love you...too much to do that...to hurt you."_

_ "You won't hurt me, Remus." she said. "And even if you do, I know it won't be because you wanted to. I know you'd never purposely hurt me. I know that, and I have faith in you."_

_End_ _Flashback_

And so it had happened. Sable had lovingly given him something he would forever treasure, something she could never take back. It had not been his first time, and Sable knew that, but she had not cared. After it was all over, and they were walking to her house, she had made him tell her who his first time had been with, and she had mentally made a note to have a little talk with that girl when she got back to school. But he knew she had been untouched when he tore through her maiden barrier, and watched the tears in her eyes as the pain swept through her body, causing her to tremble and shake.He knew she was hurting, but it was the innocent tears that she had shed for him that made him love her even more.__

The realization that she had been able to ignore the instinctual habits of her blood her whole life, while he had caved and given in a few years ago, made him respect her so much. He knew how hard it had been to ignore the basic instincts of a werewolf, and at the time, he was more than surprised that she had not already slept with someone else to relieve some of the tension.__

_Flashback_

_ "Are you alright, love?" he asked, looking down at her from his position on top of her. "Did I hurt you bad?" Sable blinked back her tears and shook her head._

_ "I'm fine, just give me a few seconds." she rasped. "I need to get used to this." Remus nodded and laid his head on her shoulder, painfully forcing himself to wait until she'd had time to adjust to the intrusion her body was suffering._

_ "You're gonna be the death of me." he growled a few minutes later as she shifted beneath him. Sable had gotten over the majority of the discomfort by now, but there was still a dull throb, and she knew she would be sore the next day._

_ "But what a way to go, huh?" she asked, smiling up at him to show that she was okay. Remus only smiled at her, knowing for the second time in his life that there was someone who truly loved him._

_End_ _Flashback_

Now, he sat in a holding cell, waiting for the filthy Death Eaters to bring her back. He'd been replaying the memories over and over in his head as the minutes turned into a half hour, then an hour, then two hours. It was not long after the second hour passed that Remus heard someone coming once again, and heard the sound of metal being pulled along the floor. He jumped to the door of the cell and looked out, only to see Sable being led back in by two black cloaked Death Eaters.

"Sable!" he cried, wanting to know if she was okay. "Sable, are you alright? What did they do to you?!"

"She's alive, you filth." said Avery crossly as he pulled out a set of keys from his robes.

"Sable, answer me!" he said, looking through the bars to take in her ripped shirt and unbuttoned denim shorts. There were red whelps on her thighs and the skin on her wrist was charred from prolonge contact with the silver shackles. There were tear stains on her face and her eyes were still red from crying. Her hair was our of its ponytail and falling around her shoulders in messy black waves.

"I'm fine, Remus." she answered, her voice once again devoid of any emotion, though it did crack at the end of the sentence, as though she had screamed too much at someone. "A little roughed over, but I'm fine."

"Put her in here with me, please." Remus begged, banging on the door.

"Why should we?" Flint asked.

"We can't hurt you." Remus said quickly. "We're unarmed and you've got wands. What could we possibly do?"

"Voldemort said to keep you separated said Flint. Remus was about to say something else when another Death Eater came into the hallway, his hood pulled over his face to hide his identity.

"Put her in there with him." he said calmly.

"But..."

"They can't do anything, and they might as well spend their last few hours together." he said coldly, pulling the keys from Avery and unlocking the shackles on Sable. "Get away from the door, Lupin." Remus moved as far back as he could and waited. The Death Eater opened the door and roughly shoved Sable into his waiting arms. "Make the best of your time. Although I doubt she has enough energy or stamina left to do anything more than fall asleep."

The three men walked away, and Remus said nothing to Sable until he was sure they were long gone. He looked down at her and frowned. She was shaking violently, and he could smell the saltiness of her tears forming. He sat down, pulling her with him and settling her on his lap.

"Are you okay, love?" he whispered as her tears started falling "What did they do?"

"I'm....fine." she choked out between sobs. "They didn't....hurt me...very....bad. Only..one touched...me. But it...wasn't...Flint...or Avery."

"Sable, I'm so sorry." he said, rocking her gently "I'm so sorry."

"I was scared." she whispered a few minutes later. "They told me that we're going to be brought before Voldemort again in a few hours."

"We'll be fine." he said. "No matter what happens, don't give into them. We'll find a way out of this, I promise."

"I'm scared, Remus." she said quietly. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do to help everyone."

"We'll get out of this." Remus said, rocking her gently. "I promise you that we'll get out of this." Sable cried harder and he held her tightly until she fell into a semi-fitful sleep. _'We will get out of here.'_ he though with determination. _'I'll get you out of here, somehow.'_

A few hours later

(A/N: Okay, back to the PG stuff now)

The few hours of brief respite was over too soon, and Remus and Sable were awakened by the sounds of people coming down the hall. Sable shuttered and pressed into Remus.

"They're coming again." she whimpered.

"I know, love." he said, holding her. They watched as four Death Eaters appeared in front of them as the door to the holding cell opened.

"Time to go, kiddies." one of the said, pointing a wand at them. "Lord Voldemort wishes to see you and hear your answer to his generous offer." Sable, steeling herself for the coming horrors, got out of Remus' lap and stood, glaring at the four men in front of her. They wore no masks, but their hoods were pulled down over their faces, hiding their identities, even though she recognized one as Avery, and one as Flint. Remus stood beside her, holding her hand and growling. The Death Eaters seemed hesitant to acknowledge the boy's existence, and backed out of the room.

"No shackles this time?" Sable asked as she walked out of the dungeon cell.

"They're not needed." Flint said. "You've been punished enough as is. And you knew better than to change. We have orders to kill you and the boy if you do." Sable whirled around and glared at the boy.

"What about my parents, Flint, you bloody asshole!" she growled. "Where are they?"

"You will see shortly, Robbins." Flint said, pulling the hood away from his face. "So I suggest you shut up and get to moving. Lord Voldemort does not like to be kept waiting." Sable turned back around when he prodded her with his wand, but remained silent the rest of the way.

They soon found themselves once again in the room with the gilded chair on the raised dias. This time, her parents were kneeling on the ground, seemingly untouched.

"Mom! Dad!" she yelled, making a mad dash towards them, only to come face to face with the tip of a wand.

"Move back, Robbins." Avery hissed. "Or I'll kill them right in front of you." Sable glared, but backed up, and remained silent.

"Put the wand away, my brother." came Voldemort's cool voice from the shadows behind the chair. "She is not to be harmed in anyway." Sable hissed as the evil wizard responsible for all of this once again sat in the ornate chair and looked down upon her. The Death Eaters around Sable and Remus stepped back, allowing them to kneel and take the gags from Carol and Robert Robbins' mouths.

The cold Lord watched as the girl spoke quietly with her parents, reassuring herself that they were indeed okay. His eyes strayed to her charred wrists, and he narrowed his eyes in anger. His orders had been to jail her, not shackle her. When Sable finally stood, helping her parents up, the evil wizard stepped to the bottom of the dias.

"What happened to your wrists?" he asked, motioning towards her hands.

"One of your lackey's decided to shackle her to the wall of the holding cell." Remus barked, glaring at him. "With cuffs and chains made of pure silver!"

"Is this true?" he asked Sable, looking her over carefully.

"Yes." she said evenly. "Not that you would care. They told me they were acting on your orders."

"I ordered them to merely detain you." Voldemort shot back. "Not chain you. Who done it?"

"How should I know?" Sable said sarcastically. "You all look the same with those damned masks on. I'm a wolf, not a psychic. I don't know who done it! Although it was probably that bastard Flint and his stupid side-kick Avery!"

"Lucius!" called Voldemort loudly. "Come here immediately!"

"Yes, Master?" came a tall blonde man who Remus immediately recognized as Lucius Malfoy, a snobby aristocratic wizard with more money than he knew what to do with.

"Who brought Ms. Robbins to the holding cells?"

"Avery and Flint." he said automatically. Voldemort seemed peeved, but only a fractional amount.

"I will deal with their stupidity later." he said, going back up to the dias and seating himself there. "Have you thought about my offer, Ms. Robbins?"

"Yes." Sable answered, stepping in front of Remus and her family.

"And your answer then?"

"I will join you if, and only if, you free Remus and my parents." she stated calmly, looking at the wizard calmly. Behind her, Sable heard her parents begin to protest, only to be silenced by a Silencing charm and bound with ropes once again.

"You are in no position to be making stipulations, young woman." Voldemort said wearily.

"And you're the one that wants me to begin with." Sable countered. "Let them go, or kill me now."

"Sable, you're crazy to do this!" Remus yelled. "You're playing right into his hands!"

"What. Other. Choice. Do. I. Have?" she ground out, turning to face Remus. "I won't have your blood on my hands, nor that of my parents."

"Sable...please don't." he begged. "You can't do this. You don't have the heart to be a Death Eater. You can't purposely hurt anyone."

"I'll do what I have to in order to keep us all safe." she said stonily.

"I won't let you do this, Sable." he stated, walking up to her.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter, my love." she said sadly. "I'm sorry, but this is the only thing I can do, to keep you alive."

"Very well put." Voldemort said evenly, watching the two teenagers interact. "But unfortunately, it is time to put an end to the indecisiveness that seems to plague you, Ms. Robbins." The wizard raised his hand and motioned towards them. Four Death Eaters stepped forward and forcefully separated Sable and Remus, silencing and binding the young man. Remus was placed on the floor next to Sable's parents as she watched. Another Death Eater walked to Lucius Malfoy and then came to stand on each side of Sable.

The two men grabbed her elbows and walked to the first tier of the dias and forced her to kneel, her head bowed. Voldemort rose, beckoning his two servants away, and leaving Sable kneeled before him.

"Do you accept your fate, Ms. Robbins?" he asked coldly. "Will you join with us to help purge the wizarding world of impure blood?"

"Get them out of here, and I'll do whatever you want." she said curtly.

"You have my word that after this, they will never have to see my face again." he said evilly, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Then do what you must." she answered, closing her eyes. Voldemort smiled in superiority and raised his wand.

"My brothers," he announced. "We will soon be welcoming a new member into our flock. Do you agree with her passage into your distinguished ranks?" A roar of approval sounded from the fifty or so men in the room. "Very well then. And who will be willing to teach this woman our ways and beliefs?"

"I am willing." came a voice to Sable's immediate left. She dared not look up to see whom it was, but she recognized the voice immediately, and her rage grew. "I will teach her properly, as Lucius has taught me."

"Ah, yes, one of my youngest and most trusted followers." Voldemort said. "You will teach her well." The psycho wizard looked down at Sable and smiled. "And are you ready to receive the mark of our ranks?"

"Yes." Sable said evenly, steeling herself for the unknown. Behind her, she heard her parents and Remus struggling and trying to get free, if only to stop her.

"If I may intercede, my Lord." came the voice of her 'teacher'. "I believe it would be prudent to mark her somewhere other than normal, considering it will be most odd when she starts wearing clothing to cover it up."

"You are right, my son." he said, looking at her kneeling form and noticing the exposed skin where her shirt had been ripped, revealing the smooth skin of her waist. "It will be painfully obvious to those who know her well. I know what to do, however. Stand, Sabriel Robbins, and face your new family."

Remus watched as Sable stood up and slowly turned to face the crowd, tears in her eyes, but her head held high in defiance. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it to here back before uttering a complex spell Remus had not caught. A green light shot from the wand and circled around Sable's waist. She cried out in pain and sunk to the floor on her hands and knees, but the wizard held the spell until a blackened pattern began to burn into her skin.

He watched, horrified and helpless, as the darkened lines grew wider, and began fading out in a scale-like pattern. Remus suddenly realized that Lucius and Sable's new 'teacher' had picked her up from the floor and held her up roughly. Remus' eyes were trained on Sable's waist as the two lines came around her body and curved around her belly button, the line on the left curing under her navel, and the one on the right curving above it. Remus blanched as the mark began to take shape. _'He's marking her with...snakes!!!'_ he thought angrily.

Sable's face was tear stained and red from the pain coursing through her body. It felt like someone was holding a hot iron to her waist and back. She buckled once again when the spell was lifted, and the Death Eaters beside her let her fall to the floor. When the pain subsided, she stood up and touched her waist gently, looking down to see what Voldemort had done. She shook her head and frowned. He had burned a mark into her alright. It was a pair or snakes wrapped around her waist, forming a circle, with one head over her navel and another below.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Voldemort asked, smirking at her.

"I've done my part." Sable said, her voice cracking slightly as she wiped away a few tears from her face. "Now do your part. Let them go." Voldemort nodded and stepped down from the dias.

"Yes. I did say they would never have to see me again, did I not?" He asked rhetorically. "You see there is a problem though."

"What?" Sable asked, her heart in her throat.

"If I let your parents go, they will inform the Ministry as to my whereabouts." Voldemort said easily. "And I cannot allow that to happen."

"So put a memory charm on them and let them go." Sable said defiantly. "Surely you can do that."

"I have a better idea." Voldemort said. "They will never have to see my face again, tis true. But it will be because they're dead."

"What?!!?" Sable screeched, jumping towards him, only to be caught by the two closest men in black cloaks. "You said you'd let them go!"

"Au contraire," Voldemort said, shaking his finger at her. "I said that they would never see my face again, and they won't." Before Sable could get another word in edgewise, Voldemort pointed his wand at Robert and Carol Robbins and muttered the Unforgivable Curse that caused instant death. "Avada Kedavra!"

Remus saw Sable's parents fall to the floor as the light hit them, surrounding their body, and that was it. They did not move again. His eyes careened back to Sable, who was still being held by the two Death Eaters. She was staring at the bodies of her parents as two more men picked them up.

"Put their bodies in the holding cell where Ms. Robbins was." Voldemort said quickly, a hard edge to his voice. "She will begin her instructions immediately."

"You sick bastard!" Sable yelled, struggling against her captors.

"Take the werewolf to his own cell. He will be used as insurance to make sure our newest acquisition complies with our wished." Voldemort said, sweeping back up to the chair and seating himself. Remus, still bound, felt as he was lifted and levitated out of the room by his captors. The last thing he sw before the doors closed was Sable, kneeling on the ground, crying as Voldemort looked down from his position on the raised platform. When the doors had shut, Sable looked up to see Voldemort sneering down at her.

"Severus!"

"Yes, Master?"

"You asked permission to train her." He said. "Take her and begin immediately. I want my newest asset to be a well behaved, obedient young woman. Am I understood?"

"Of course, my Lord." Snape stepped forward, pulling her up and sneering at her. "I'll do it with the utmost pleasure." Sable glared at her classmate, but remained silent as he pulled her roughly out of the room and up numerous flights of stairs before entering a lavishly decorated bedroom. He threw her on the bed and growled, pulling his cloak away to reveal a sneer on his face.

"Well, Robbins." he said coldly. "I hope you're happy. I told you to keep your mouth shut!"

"You filthy bastard!" Sable growled. "Not you again! Haven't you done enough to me for one day? As if earlier wasn't bad enough! Now I've got to put up with you again?" She shivered as the memories of earlier came back to her. Snape had been the one assigned to 'relieve her of the stress' Voldemort had commented on. She had not told Remus that it was Snape that had put his hands on her, not really seeing a reason to make him more angry, but she was beginning to wish she had.

"If you'd have listened to me and kept your mouth shut, your parents would probably still be alive!" Snape snapped. "So I don't want to hear it! And as for earlier, I only did what I had to in order to keep the both of us from getting killed. There were people watching us, to make sure that I did not take it easy on you! If I hadn't have done that, we would have both been killed! Just because I'm one of Voldemort's follower's doesn't mean he won't hesitate to kill me! You should be thanking me!"

"Thanking you?" she screamed. "Thanking you? Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to be forced into.....that?"

"You'll get over it." he said coldly. "There's more important things to worry about."

"And what are they?" she asked. Snape looked over at her and frowned, his features turning contrite for a moment.

"Getting your sorry hide out of here!" he barked. "You and Lupin both!"

"What?" she asked, not wanting to fall for a trick. "How?"

"Voldemort won't call you again tonight. He's had his fun for the evening." he said completely serious. "I'm going to Dumbledore to get you out of here."

"Dumbledore knows you're a Death Eater?" Sable asked skeptically, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes." he answered curtly. "I've been spying for him for some time now."

"How long?" Sable asked. "Did you know about my parents being captured and used as bait for me to come to Voldemort's side?"

"None of your business." he said firmly, completely ignoring the last question she threw at him. "Now listen to me carefully. I'm taking you back to the holding cells and putting you with Lupin. I'm going to lock the doors and padlock it so you can't get out. But beneath the hay is a phial of highly concentrated acid. Pour it on the lock and get out. Flint is on guard duty, and he has your wands. Find some way to get them from him. Once you get them, get to the entrance floor and hide somewhere until midnight. I'll arrange it with Dumbledore to attack by then. You'll get a clear shot out as long as you're near the front entrance. Can you do that?"

"Why are you doing this, Severus?" she asked after a moment of staring at him to determine whether he was lying to her or not. "I thought you hated me and Remus."

"I don't hate you, Robbins." he said, looking at her. "I never have, no matter how you may have took my actions. Lupin, however, is another matter all together. But, I have enough blood on my hands without adding yours and Lupin's to the mix. I don't want anymore on my conscious." Sable said nothing as she looked at his troubled face. She had never suspected Snape of being a Death Eater, although she was sure Remus and the others had. He was mean, crude, cruel, and sadistic at times, but Sable had never suspected him to be a murderer. Little did she know, that he had went to Dumbledore and confessed to everything not long after the attack on her parents. The old man had been understanding, and Snape had felt obliged to try and rectify his mistakes by acting as an informant for Dumbledore, and the new group he was gathering to fight Voldemort, known as the Order of the Phoenix.

"There's another reason why you're doing this, isn't there?" she asked quietly, going to stand in front of him and trying to look him in the eye.

"My reasons are my own." he said curtly, staring straight at her. "It's none of your concern or business as to why I'm doing this. So don't question it." Sable said nothing else, but only nodded in response. Snape, taking this as acquiescence, turned and walked towards the door way, motioning for her to follow.

"We'll be there." she said as he opened the door and led her out and towards the dungeons. "You can count on that."

_A/N - Okay, I know there are some people who probably absolutely hated this chapter. I didn't exactly like writing it myself! Anyhow, things will work out, I promise._

_Synopsis: Here's the short version._

_-Sable, Remus, and her parents are kidnaped and brought before Voldemort._

_- He offers them the chance to join him as Death Eaters, but they refuse._

_- Voldemort kills Sable's parents, after she agrees to become a follower under the condition that Voldemort lets Remus and her parents go._

_- Snape becomes her 'teacher' in the beliefs and ways of the Death Eaters. _

_- Snape, who is already spying for Dumbledore, concocts a plan to get her out of there, as well as Remus, even though he still holds a big grudge against Remus._


	43. Chapter 43

_Disclaimer- It's not mine. It never was._

_A/N - Okay everyone, here is the next chapter in this wonderful story. I'm afraid that there are only three more chapters left to this story, this one being the first. As some of you can probably guess, I don't think many of you are going to like the way I end the story. Just a warning..._

_Later,_

_A.A._

__

Chapter 43

By the time Snape had gotten Sable back to the dungeons, his cold demeanor had come back. He marched her down to Remus' cell, where Flint was standing guard for the night. Snape pulled the cowl of his cloak up once again, covering his face from sight and slipping something into Sable's pocket. She said nothing, only acted as though nothing had happened. He had already told her on the way down to the dungeons to act as though she were scared of him, or else their cover could be blown. Sable, never for once in her life thinking that she would be listening to a Slytherin by choice, complied, and walked with her head down, eyes trained to the ground.

"Pour it down his throat after you knock him out." He hissed quietly before they got too close to Flint.

"What's it for?" Sable whispered, wondering if it was poison or something.

"To cover my ass." Snape growled. "It won't kill him. Just knock him out long enough to let you escape without being seen." Sable said nothing, only nodded slightly in understanding as they came closer to Flint, who looked to be in a large amount of pain. "Flint?"

"Hey." The Quidditch player said, wincing as he pulled the keys from the pocket of his cloak. Although Sable was still looking at the ground, trying to keep up the submissive, scared act, she could tell that Flint was cringing every time he moved, almost like someone had beat the crap out of him. _'Hmm. Well, old Voldie did say that he would punish Avery and Flint for rough handling me.'_ Sable thought with a morbid sense of satisfaction knowing that the two boys had been punished for hurting her. _'Wonder what ugly did to them?'_

"Sable?" Remus called, jumping to the door of the cell when he heard them outside. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, Remus." She said quietly, acting as submissive as possible for the full effect.

"Back up, you filthy animal." Snape ordered. "Your little tramp is coming in with you!" There was a quiet shuffle as Remus scuttled away from the door so that Flint could put her in there. The door opened and Remus saw the hunched over form of Flint, as well as the form of someone else who pushed Sable into the room with him. Remus was still too worried about what had happened to his girlfriend to notice that the other Death Eater was the very student at Hogwart's that he hated the most. "You will be retrieved in the morning for your next lesson, ungrateful woman. And I would suggest that you be on your best behavior because I will not be so lenient the next time we meet." Snape slammed the door to the cell shut, and Flint locked them in again, securing the lock and the other magical wards that held the door shut. Remus caught her as she stumbled into the small cell, stopping her from falling onto the stone floor.

"Sable, are you alright?" Remus asked, looking her over as best he could in the poor light of the cell. "They didn't hurt you, did they, whoever that was?"

"No. I'm fine. A little shaken up, but fine." she answered quietly.

"Do you now who it was that brought you here?" He asked, sitting her on his lap. "Who's your 'teacher'. And what in the world is he supposed to be teaching you?"

"I don't know." Sable lied easily, shifting slightly so that Remus could not see her face.. "I haven't seen his face." She knew that it would probably be for the best to tell him that Snape was the one who was helping them out, but she knew that with Remus' immense dislike of the Slytherin Prefect, it would probably do more harm than good by telling him.

"It's something you're not going to learn for a while." came Flint's annoyed voice. "You don't need to know who it is. You just need to listen to them. Now shut up! I've got a bloody headache, and your constant yapping is making it worse."

"So go get a damned potion for it!" Remus yelled angrily. "Surely whoever your other master potion brewer is has one on hand to give you. Hopefully he laced it with some arsenic or something else."

"Shut it, you filthy wolf!" Flint growled. Remus was about to retort when Sable put her hand over his mouth and shook her head, going back to her normal self.

"Quit biting our heads off, Flint." she said, fully expecting to hear the muttered curses from the boy. "It's your own damn fault Voldemort punished you for rough handling me. Just go get a damn potion for the headache, will you? Your bitching is giving me a headache." Remus gave her a confused look, but she only shook her head and held up a finger to stop his questions. "Go on, Flint. Remus and I can't do anything. And there's no point in making us all miserable. So get the hell out of here."

"You stupid bitch!" Flint growled. "Keep talking and I'll..."

"You'll get another Cruciatus Curse on your head, is what you'll get." she smirked. "Go ahead, leave a mark on me again, and I'll guarantee Voldemort will give you more than a damned headache to complain about! Anything that happens to me during your watch is your responsibility anyway."

"Shut the hell up!" Flint yelled. Sable remained quiet and a few minutes later, the two captured teens heard the unmistakable sound of feet shuffling down the stone floor. When the sound faded, Sable heaved a sigh of relief and got off of Remus, who was thoroughly confused by now.

"What's going on, love?" he asked, watching as she fell to her knees in front of the pile of soured hay and began to sift through it. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us the hell out of this place." she said firmly. "Where the hell is it? He said that it was under here!" Remus was completely confused by now, and starting to wonder if the Death Eaters had put some sort of spell on his girlfriend, she was acting so odd.

"What are you looking for?" Remus asked, coming to get beside her. "And who are you talking about?"

"One of the Death Eaters." Sable said. "He's a spy for Dumbledore, and he told me that he's going to get the Headmaster to get us out of here, along with a whole bunch of Aurors from the Ministry. We have to get out of this cell and up to the entrance hall quickly." Remus sat up and looked down at her, not wanting to believe what she was saying, but silently hoping that she was not lying to him.

"So why are we searching around in a pile of hay?" Remus asked. "What's under here?"

"A container of concentrated acid." Sable said absently, throwing another handful of the foul smelling hay behind her.

"And what are we going to do with it?" Remus asked. "Are you sure this isn't some sort of trap, love?"

"We're supposed to use it to melt the lock on the door, but I've got a better idea." Sable said, completely ignoring that second question he had asked her.

"We don't have our wands, love." Remus pointed out. "We can't do anything without them."

"Flint's got them." Sable said firmly. "We have to get them from him. He took them from us when they attacked my house."

"And how are we going to do that?" Remus asked, beginning to believe her for some odd reason.

"See those shackles over there?" Sable asked, nodding towards the manacles that had been used on her earlier. "Ahh, I found it!" She held up a bottle of clear liquid, a triumphant grin on her face.

"What about them?" Remus asked, eyeing the silver chains eerily. He did not want to have to touch the bindings, knowing that the silver would make him sicker than Sable if it come into contact with his skin.

"That's how we're going to get Flint." she said. "Those dammed things weigh a ton. We're gonna get Flint in here, then knock the Hell out of him with those things. After that, we've got to get to the entrance floor and hide until he gets here with Dumbledore and the Aurors. What time is it?"

"A little after eleven." Remus said, glancing at his watch.

"Good, we don't have long until midnight." she said.

"Sable, love, this is nuts." Remus said finally.

"Do you have a better idea?" she snapped. "Cause I'd sure like to hear it."

"It's just that...we're not sneaking around Hogwarts." he said, scratching his head. "This place is full of murderers wanting a reason to kill us. And who says that this Death Eater is really a spy for DUmbledore? He was marked with the Dark Mark, for Merlin's sake! It could be a lie. We can't trust him."

"Remus, what exactly do you call this?" she asked, pointing to her stomach, where the two snakes twined around her waist. "It isn't exactly a fucking birthmark! I'm marked too, so are you not going to trust me now?"

"I didn't mean it like that." He said, wishing he could retract the words.. "But why can't we just stay here until Dumbledore gets here with the other Aurors?"

"I don't know, but he told us to get out of here, and I'm doing it." she answered. "Hush. Here comes Flint." Sure enough, they could hear the returning footstep of the Slytherin Quidditch player, along with a whole lot of muttering.

"Well?" Remus asked, looking to her. "What do we have to do to get him in here?"

"Just start yelling that I'm not breathing or something." Sable said, laying down on the stone floor. "He'll come in and I'll knock the shit out of him when he turns me over."

"Fine." Remus said, kneeling besides her. "I hope this works."

"It will." Sable said reassuringly. "Just watch."

Cody Flint shook his head in aggravation as he looked at his watch. It was almost a quarter afer eleven, and he was ready to get some sleep. He had just come from Snape's quarters, easily acquiring a headache potion for the migraine that was coming on.. _'Now I've just got to deal with these blasted animals tonight.'_ he thought. _'Wonderful!' _Voldemort had put the Cruciatus Curse on both him and Avery for not following orders, and shackling Sable with the silver cuffs. The evil wizard had left it on for so long, that Avery had passed out after only a few moments under the intense pain. Flint though, had been used to it, seeing as how anytime he screwed up, his master put the curse on him, and had managed to stay conscious.

"Although you have a killer headache afterwards, no matter how used to it you get." he grumbled. He walked over to the chair beside the holding cell and sat down, glad that the two prisoners inside seemed to have shut up.

"SABLE!"He heard Lupin's panicked voice yell suddenly. "SABLE! WAKE UP! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU! WAKE UP, SABLE! COME ON, WAKE UP! TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG! OH SHIT, SHE'S NOT BREATHING! COME ON GIRL, SNAP OUT OF IT! I TOLD THOSE BASTARDS TO KEEP THE SILVER AWAY FROM YOU! SABLE! SNAP OUT OF IT! WAKE UP!"

"What's going on in there, Lupin?" he called out, jumping up from the chair and looking through the small opening, only to see Remus kneeling beside Sable, shaking her violently. "What the hell's wrong with her?!"

"She's not breathing, you imbecile!" Remus yelled, still shaking her.

"Why not?" Flint asked. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's a delayed reaction from when any werewolf comes into contact with silver." he said. "You assholes put the damn silver shackles on her earlier. So come do something before she dies!" Flint's heart started to race with the thought of what would happen to him if the girl died. He unlocked and opened the doors, rushing in and pushing Remus aside.

"You stupid bitch!" he cursed her, rolling her over. "You better not die!"

"I don't intend on it, you bastard!" Sable said after a split second, swinging the heavy manacles up and hitting the boy square in the side of his head.

Flint never saw it coming, and dropped to the floor like a brick, falling on top of her. She managed to pull herself out from under him while Remus relieved him of their wands. Sable climbed to her feet and took her wand from Remus, using a charm to flip Flint onto his back and open his mouth.

"Now what are you going?" Remus asked, watching as she removed the container of liquid Snape had passed her before putting her back into the cell.

"Covering up our tracks." she said. "And covering our friend's ass." She poured the liquid down Flint's throat and discarded the container, leaving the boy on the stone floor. "Let's go." They left the cell after locking Flint in it, and headed upstairs.

"Sable," Remus said suddenly as an idea hit him. "Can't we just Apparate out of here?" Sable shrugged and turned to him.

"We can try." she said. Remus walked over to her and grabbed her hand, focusing on the place he wanted to be at. Unfortunately, the swirling pull usually felt when he Apparated was not present. He opened his eyes and looked around, shaking his head. "So much for that idea."

"I didn't think it would work." Sable said wearily. "The spy guy told me that there were anti-apparating wards on the mansion. I had already thought of that earlier." Remus shrugged and they continued on carefully, their wands were out and ready, and Remus had already cast the Disillusionment charm as a form of protection. They got to the entrance hall without any problems, seeing as how it was almost midnight, and many of the Death Eaters had left. But when they managed to get to the entrance foyer, their luck seemed to run out. Standing by the door were four men with black cloaks over their shoulders. The hoods were not pulled up, so their faces were showing. But neither Remus not Sable could place them.

"Now what do we do?" Remus whispered fiercely. "They're right by the entrance. We can't get out."

"We hide." Sable said, nodding to a small cupboard underneath the stairs leading to the top floor. "We have to wait until midnight before Dumbledore gets here anyways. The closer we are to the entrance the better." So, the two teenagers crept into the small cupboard and shut the door as quietly as possible. It was a tight fit in the little room, and they could feel the layers of dust on top of everything in it. Remus used his wand and cast a lighting charm, so that they could see exactly what was around them.

When the light finally flooded the small room, Sable's eyes were immediately drawn to the boxes of antiques surrounding them. She picked up a silver goblet and brought it to Remus.

"Whose family is this?" she asked, pointing to the intricate carving of the crest on the cup. "I've never seen it before." Remus lifted the Disillusionment charm and looked back at the goblet, a frown on his face.

"It's the Zabini's." he said, glowering. "A bunch of aristocratic purebloods who rank right up there with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy." Sable nodded and put the plate back, not wanting to know anything else about their captors.

"What time is it?" Sable whispered a few minutes later.

"11:47." he answered.

"All we can do is wait." Sable said, watching through the keyhole as the shadows of the men moved across the wall. Her hand strayed to the shell necklace that had been given to her by the water sprites in the Forbidden Forest all months weeks ago. Miraculously, it had remained on her neck during this whole ordeal with the Death Eaters. Remus noticed her fidgeting with the center shell and covered her hands with his own.

"You're nervous." he whispered. "Calm down."

"I'll be fine." She said absently. "I'm just trying to figure out how to get my parents bodies out of those holding cells.

"We'll get them after Dumbledore and the Aurors get here." Remus said. He looked down at his watch and frowned. "11:53."

"Just a few more minutes." Sable muttered. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be free."

"They sure are taking their damned time getting here." Remus said. Sable was about to respond when the worst possible thing could happen.

"They've escaped!" came Avery's strident voice from the doorway leading into the dungeons. "They've escaped! Find them immediately!" Sable cursed as the men in the foyer turned towards Avery, their wands drawn.

"What was that, Avery?" one of them asked. "They've escaped? How?"

"I thought Flint was on guard duty down there." another growled.

"Flint was knocked out cold." Avery said, coming up to them and frowning. "They lifted their wands off of him as well."

"Shite!" the tallest of the men said, glancing around the room. "Find them before Lord Voldemort has all of our heads!" They all spread out and began to hunt, but it was not long before the grandfather clock struck midnight, and the dings and dongs of the pendulum was soon mixed in with the roaring sound of exploding doors and sparking spells. The Death Eaters searching the mansion quickly congregated in the entrance hall in confusion, until Voldemort himself appeared in the middle of the throng.

"It's the Aurors from the Ministry." One of his underling reported. "Led by Albus Dumbledore. They've found us."

"Brace yourselves, my followers." Voldemort said, pulling out his own wand in preparation. "Our powers and strengths are not yet great enough to take on that many. Avery, Misha, retrieve Ms. Robbins and let us retreat. Kill the wolf."

"They've escaped, sir." Avery said slightly, bowing his head under the glare his master sent him.

"They what?" Voldemort hissed. "Well find her..." Before he could finish the sentence, the doors of the mansion flew open and Ministry Aurors rushed in, firing curses and hexes at the black cloaked individuals.

The air was a whirl of color as the spells bounced off of each other. Sable and Remus watched out of the small crack in the door as Dumbledore used one curse to bind and vanish half a dozen Death Eaters. The rest of the Aurors quickly spread out and began dueling with the other Death Eaters who were present. After about ten minutes of dueling, Voldemort called from one of the balconies to his followers below him.

"Retreat!" Yelled Voldemort. Dumbledore looked up in time to catch the malicious smile of the aging wizard. "You will rue the day you crossed me, Albus Dumbledore! I will come back to purge our world of those unfit to learn the teachings of our forefathers. Mark my words, Albus, we will meet again!" Dumbledore seemed to care little for the other man's showy speech, and quickly began to ascend the steps, only to find Voldemort gone by the time he reached the top balcony. Slowly, each one of the men in Death Eaters robes Disapparated away, seeing their master gone, until only the Ministry officials were left, along with Dumbledore, Remus, and Sable.

"Albus!"called one of the Ministry witches from the bottom floor. "They've all disappeared! There is no one left here!"

"Spread out and find my students." Dumbledore said firmly, his eyes furrowed in concern. "We will worry about the rest of the culprits later!" The Ministry members barely had time to move before Remus and Sable burst from the closet.

"We're here!" Sable said, looking up to the headmaster. "We're right here!"

"Ms. Robbins, Mr. Lupin!" another curly headed Ministry witch said. "You are alive. Thank Merlin!" Dumbledore came down the stairs and stood in front of the two teens.

"Are you two injured?" he asked, looking them over for any bruises.

"We are fine, headmaster." Remus said. "But what happened? Where did all the Death Eaters, and Voldemort, go?"

"I'm afraid they Disapparated." he said.

"But, Remus and I tried that, and it didn't work." Sable said, her confusion evident in her face. "We couldn't leave the mansion."

"It's more of Voldie's handiwork." came Alastor Moody's annoyed voice as he walked up beside Dumbledore and the students. "Only people marked with the Dark Mark could Apparate out of here."

"But...I....." Sable began to say, only to be shushed by Remus, who shook his head, not wanting her to tell everyone that Voldemort had put his mark on her. If she was going to tell anyone, he figured Dumbledore would be the smartest decision. _'Besides, there's no telling what the Ministry would do if they knew she was marked as a Death Eater.'_ he thought.

"Headmaster," Remus said, turning to face the old man. "Sable's parents are still in the dungeon. We need to go get them out."

"Voldemort killed them." Sable said sadly, as though the fact had finally hit her that her parents were no longer alive. "He told Avery and Flint to put them in the holding cell in the dungeon."

"I see." Dumbledore said, nodding towards Moody and another Auror that had appeared beside him. "I will send Moody and Phillastines to retrieve them, Ms. Robbins. You needn't worry."

"I'm going with them." Sable said, stepping up to the two Aurors that had nodded in Dumbledore's direction. "I'll show them where they are."

"Very well then, Ms. Robbins." Dumbledore said. "Phillastines, Moody, will you kindly accompany Ms. Robbins back into the mansion to retrieve her parents bodies?"

"Of course." said the African American Auror who Sable had pegged as Phillastines.

"Let's go, little missy." Moody said, his magical eye rolling all around in his head. "We've got more work to do before tonight is over with. Might as well get them out now."

"I agree, Alastor." Dumbledore said. "I will take Mr. Lupin and await your arrival back. I have some questions he may be able to answer."

"We'll be back shortly." Phillastines said, turning and following Sable towards the now quiet and deserted mansion. Remus watched as they disappeared back into the dreary mansion, then turned to follow the headmaster further away from where the Ministry officials were working. It was no time before another man in Ministry robes caught sight of them and came over. The man was quite tall and dressed in purple robes. If Remus remembered right, this man was Kenos Transtorian, the current Minister of Magic.

"Albus, did you retrieve the children?" he asked quickly, almost frantically.

"Mr. Lupin is here, and Ms. Robbins is currently with Moody and Phillastines, retrieving her parents bodies from the dungeons." Dumbledore said, turning back to the mansion. The two men spoke a little longer, and Remus began to get anxious to see Sable again. He was just about to ask Dumbledore to go back in when the first explosion happened, causing Remus, Dumbledore, and the Minister of Magic to spin around and watch the sight before them.

The entire first floor of the mansion had exploded into a bright orange fireball. Glass went flying, and people were knocked down from the force.

"Oh, fuck!" Remus yelled immediately. "Sable!"

"Mr. Lupin!" Dumbledore said forcefully, putting a hand on the young man's shoulder to stop him from running into the burning building. "You can not go in there! You'll be killed!"

"She's still in there!" Remus yelled frantically. "Get her out of there, Headmaster!"

"Stay here, Remus." He said, pulling his wand and following the Minister, who had took off as soon as he saw the explosion. "I can't risk losing a student's life. I'll find Ms. Robbins." Dumbledore took off, and Remus watched as the mansion slowly begin to collapse, despite the efforts to stop the fire.

The next couple of minutes were pure torture for Remus. All he could see was the burning building, and the Ministry officials using every charm, hex, and curse in the book to put the fire out. His heart was racing and he frantically looked for any sign of Sable, or Dumbledore, or anyone else who had went back into the mansion. Around the ground level, the witches and wizards were running back and forth, trying to calm the flames that licked at the old, aristocratic mansion hungrily, devouring the wood and mortar. A sickening crack was heard over the din of the area, and Remus watched as the top floor of the building gave way, and the entire second story collapsed inwardly.

"Sable!" he yelled. "Dumbledore!" Remus watched as, moments later, Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic walked out of the burning mess, Phillastines and the Minister being levitated behind them, as the first floor of the building caved in and it all fell down to where the dungeons had been located. Remus ran towards them, shaking his head in anger and fright. He still didn't see Sable.

"Where is she?" Remus asked frantically, looking at the old man for an answer. "Where's Sable?" Dumbledore looked over at Alastor Moody, who said nothing, but only took Phillastines and the Minister's unconscious forms to where medi-witches were standing by.

"We couldn't find her, Remus." Dumbledore said sadly. "I'm sorry, but....we lost sight of her in the smoke. She disappeared from view, then we wound up on the first floor at the entrance."

"No. No. NO!" Remus said, shaking his head. "She's in there! You've got to go back in there. She's still in there!"

"Mr. Lupin, Remus, please." Dumbledore said sadly.

"You don't understand!" Remus yelled. "She's got to be alive. She can't be dead! No, this can't happen!"

"Remus, calm down!" Dumbledore said. "I'm sorry, but...the only way she could have gotten out was to Apparate out. And only those that were marked with the Dark Mark were capable of Apparating out of there."

"No, this can't happen." Remus said, tears forming in his eyes as he watched the mansion collapse inward some more and continue to burn.

"I'm sorry, Remus." Dumbledore said sadly. "But....if she got out of there, it would be the closest thing to a miracle that I have ever seen."

"Sable, come out of there, please...." he begged.

_A/N - Okay, people. Here is the latest chapter in this crazy story. I just hope I haven't lost anyone in it yet. Things are starting to look bleak, aren't they? Wonder if our wonderful couple is going to be able to pull out of this one? We'll see soon enough._

_Later,_

_A.A._

_Please remember to review._


	44. Chapter 44

_Disclaimer - It's not mine, it never was. I'm just borrowing the characters in order to make up the story._

_A/N - Okay, this is the second to last chapter in this story. Only one more to go before this story is totally over with. I hope you guys enjoy. Later._

__

_Chapter 44_

_(Note: A couple of days have passed since the attack on the mansion. Sable has not been found, and Easter break is over with. Everyone else is back in school.)_

Unfortunately, Sable did not appear by the time the fire had been extinguished, not had her body been found the next day as a clean up crew came with investigators to comb the smouldering wreckage for clues. Remus had been adamant about finding some clue as to what had happened to her, but the only thing that had been found was the charm bracelet Sable had been wearing, they had not been able to find the shell necklace that she had been wearing. Dumbledore had found it near some wreckage that had been the main ballroom, and given it back to him. Eventually though, not a trace of Sable or her parents bodies had been found among the ruins, and Dumbledore and Remus were forced to return back to Hogwarts without her.. The investigators from the Ministry had told Remus that it was very possible that their bodies had been burnt to ashes because of the intense temperature of the blaze, and that there would be nothing left of them.

Eventually, Remus was forced to leave the sight of the mansion and return to Hogwarts alongside Dumbledore. Remus had grown cold and distant, not wanting to believe that she had perished in the fire. _'We survived two Death Eater attacks, for Merlin's sake!'_ he thought angrily. _'And she is supposedly killed in a FIRE?! I just don't believe it!'_

After much deliberation, Remus had contacted his own parents, as well as the Marauders and Lily, and told them what had happened. It had taken no time before Mr. And Mrs. Lupin, and James and Sirius, had Apparated to Hogsmeade and then gotten to Hogwarts. Lily was going to be a little longer, and Peter could not be found.

Dumbledore told the faculty what had happened before they arrived, then left Remus with his friends and parents.

Since his parents had known Sable and her family very well, they too the news hard. His mother cried uncontrollably and tried to coddle Remus, who was not in any mood to be babied. Lily was the last one to arrive, and when she got to James, she broke down crying. Sirius and James, although eager to find out what had happened, refrained from asking questions, and stayed with their best friend until his parents left, leaving Remus at Hogwarts under Dumbledore's care.

The three boys were desolate. Remus was still in shock, Lily was near hysterics, and James and Sirius were trying to figure out how to fix everything. In the end though, they all went to the Common Room with Remus, who went to his dorm and stayed there.

It had been a few days since the attack on the mansion, and classes had started back. Sitting at the table in the Great Hall, Lily, the boys, and the overall Gryffindor house was unusually subdued. Dumbledore had announced what had happened to the entire school, leaving out specific names, in order to clear up some rumors that had already began to fly. The other students of Hogwarts were appalled, and frightened by what had happened, and many of them burst out crying when they realized that Sable had not returned to school, and Remus was an emotional mess. Little Thomas McCleod seemed to take it the hardest. The little boy started crying right in front of everyone in the Hall before getting up and running out. Remus did not know what to do, so he did nothing. He knew that Sable meant a lot to some of the younger generations of Hogwarts students, but he did not know of anything that would make it better. It was a cloudy, dreary morning the Wednesday after the attack, and the Marauders were silent as they sat down to breakfast. Remus had been in his own world ever since he had gotten back to Hogwarts. He had done nothing except spend every waking moment in Sables room since returning. James and Sirius managed to drag him out for meals, but that was it. He even refused to go to class. Lily was still reeling from the shock and would periodically burst out into tears.

The only people who did not really seem to concerned about it were the Slytherins. Ever since Eater break had ended, and school had began again, the House seemed even more nasty than normal, especially the older ones. The Marauders figured that it had something to do with the fact that two of their housemates had disappeared in the attack. It was true that Avery and Flint had not been seen since the attack. But Cody Flint's little brother Cassius Flint, and Marcus Avery's younger siblings Clareese and Charleston, had not really seemed to bothered about all the hubbub. It was like the little second and third year Slytherins knew something the rest of the school did not.

As for the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws, they were not as affected by the disappearances, but Sable's disappearance and rumored death had them all in a state of shock and fear. The younger students that she had helped to tutor seemed to band together upon finding out that their mentor was not coming back. Even the little Slytherin boys and girls that she had managed to make friends with went against what was considered 'normal and proper' for their House, and stuck with the other Houses, which surprised everyone.

This particular morning was no different. Remus played with his food, not wanting to eat, and wishing he could do something. While the little band of younger students converged at the end of Ravenclaw Table, talking and helping each other with last minute homework, the rest of the student population remained eerily silent and subdued. Overhead, the air came to life with the flutter of hundreds of owls bringing them the morning post.

A tawny owl dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of James and Lily while Sirius got a letter, and a small package was dropped in front of Remus. Remus took no head of the box and continued staring off into space. It was a few moments later when James put the paper down and frowned. Lily picked it up and read out loud.

_ 'Ministry officials report that the attack on the large mansion just outside of tow two days ago has been deemed a freak accident by investigators. Apparently Aurors from the Ministry were tipped off to the location of a group of rogue wizards, who refer to themselves as Death Eaters, by two students who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_ The Auror led attack infiltrated the mansion, securing an unconfirmed number of Death Eaters for interrogation. There are rumors of four fatalities, but no one have been confirmed as of yet. However, we do know that the body of one young man was found in the dungeons of the mansion, although no names have be given yet._

_ Investigators weeded through the rubble, only to find no other bodies. _

_Although it is believed that there were two bodies of Ministry Aurors in the building at some point, they were not found. The investigation continues on as more information is revealed._

_ In a related story, a number of students from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have come up missing. Marcus Avery, Cody Flint, and Meadow Robbins have all disappeared from their respective homes in the past few days. No connection has been drawn yet, and investigators are still trying to pin point the reason behind the disappearances. More information will.....'_

Before Lily could say anymore, Remus slammed his fork onto his plate and stood from the table, leaving his friends and practically running out of the Great Hall. Lily and the others only watched as their distraught friend left them there to finish whatever was in the paper.

"I wish Moony'd snap out of this." James said quietly.

"Leave him be, James." Lily said, folding up the paper and placing it by her plate. "He was closer to her than any of us. It's not going to be easy, especially for him."

"He's got to stop this." Sirius mumbled.

"I want to help as well, Sirius." Lily sighed. "But the only thing we can do ins try to distract him."

"That's going to be hard to do." James muttered, pulling the Marauder's Map from his bag, muttering the incantation that showed the layout of Hogwarts corridor, and the room's occupants. "Especially considering that he's holed up in her bedroom again."

"Again?" Sirius questioned. "He's been in there since all this happened."

"He can't stay in there for ever." Peter said, nodding in agreement.

"It's a form of solace." Lily said, shaking her head. "It'll be a sort of closure for him. All we can do is wait, and be there for him."

"I hope he's going to get better." Sirius said. "I don't know how long I can stand to see the old boy like this."

"Hey, guys, look at this." Lily said, opening the paper again and glancing down its columns. "They never gave a reason or even any suggestions as to why Avery and Flint went missing, although it is hinted at that Sable might have had something to do with the Death Eaters and the attack on the Zabini's mansion."

"This is crazy." James said. "They keep those blasted Slytherin's names cleared, but they run hers into the mud!"

"Somebody got paid off for that little article." Sirius said, frowning.

"I wonder why the paper is not saying that she's dead?" Peter asked, looking at the offending piece of paper. "Dumbledore all but said that she died in the fire."

"No clue, Wormtail." James said, scratching his head. "Things are so confused right now. Leave it to the press to screw this up."

"Things are only going to get worse before they get better, I'm afraid." Sirius said sadly. "I don't even want to think about what else they've got cooked up for this."

"I know. Remus told us that Lucius Malfoy was one of the head Death Eaters under Voldemort's wing." James muttered. "And I'll be damned if you don't see HIS name in the bloody paper."

"Like I said. Someone got paid off to keep the truth out of that article." Sirius said, shaking his head. "I'd hate to know how much money passed hands to keep those blasted Slytherins out of the bad side of the press."

And so the next few weeks passed for the students in the school. Remus practically refused to go to class, and very seldom ate anything, even when someone brought it to him down in Sable's bedroom. Things finally hit a head and turned around about a week before the full moon in June. Remus had been in her room for the majority of the time, but had touched changed, nor moved anything. Everything was just he way she had left it when they left for Easter break.

Remus knew that the full moon for the month was fast approaching, and he dreaded it more than anything. The transformation for May had been horrible. He had refused to tamper with any of the back stock of Sable's potions, and had not taken the Wolfsbane potion the day and evening of the change. Had he really been thinking, he could have went to the Potions teacher, Professor Treble, and gotten some of it. But he hadn't, and the night that he changed had been bad enough to land him in the hospital wing for nearly three days because of the damage he had done to himself. Even James, Sirius, and Peter had felt the wrath of the angry, hurt beast that was their best friend.

Remus had attacked the shaggy black dog and proud stag that had stood before him that night, as well as the little rat that scurried to hide from him. Sirius and James had managed to keep Remus from hurting them too bad, but they could not keep him from hurting himself. Poor Remus had bit, scratched, and clawed at himself all night. The next morning when he awoke, it was in the hospital wing back inside Hogwarts.

James and Sirius had told him later what had happened, and he had felt even worse knowing that he had hurt them. That was why he was standing where he was right then.

Remus reached out to pull open the door that housed Sable's back stock of potions when a creak at the portrait hole in her bedroom alerted him on someone else's presence. He quickly walked back through the door, only to find Lily standing there, looking around uncertainly.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked, looking at her warily.

"I was just wondering if you were okay, Remus." Lily said. "I was coming to check on you and make sure everything was okay."

"I don't need a mother." Remus sneered. "I can take care of myself."

"I didn't say that you did." Lily said carefully, walking towards him. "Did you get the Wolfsbane potion from the lab?"

"I'm not using it." Remus said stubbornly. "It's not mine to take."

"Remus, she made it for you." Lily said, completely confused. "Why not take it?"

"Because I'm not touching anything in that lab." he said, growling at her. "Why do you want me to take it? Are you scared that I'll turn into some vicious monster and tear you to pieces?" Lily, her temper at the breaking point, walked over to Remus, placed herself right in front of him, and done something that she probably should not have.

She slapped him. Hard. Remus looked back at the girl and glared, growling even harder at her as though he was trying to scare her. Lily, although she was quaking in her skin, held firm to her constitution and faced him.

"Of all the times I've been around you, Remus." Lily said, "And ever since I'd found out that you were a werewolf, I've never been afraid of you because I knew that you wouldn't hurt me. I trust you, Remus. So go ahead and growl and snarl all you want, but I'm not going anywhere until you get it through your head that you are only hurting yourself by doing this. Sable worked so damned hard on that potion so that you and her parents, and anyone else that suffered from lycanthropy, could lead a semblance of a normal life. Why are you refusing to use the potion, and help yourself?"

"You don't understand, Lily." Remus snarled, turning his back on her. "You never will."

"I might not understand what you're thinking, Remus." Lily said. "But you and I both know that if Sable knew what you were doing to yourself, she'd chew you out, and then find a way to kick you in your arse! Do you think putting yourself through some sort of self-inflicted torture is going to bring her back?"

"Lily..." Remus said warningly. "You're letting your mouth overrun your common sense."

"Well, do you, Remus?" Lily asked again, her voice almost to the point of yelling, and tears in her eyes. "Don't you think we'd have done whatever it would have taken to keep her here, with us, with you? If we could have, we would have, Remus. This is something that the mighty Marauders can't fix. No one can."

"She shouldn't have had to die, Lily." He said, his voice rising as he continued to speak. "We survived two Death Eater attacks. She took the blasted Dark Mark to try and save me and her parents, and Voldemort killed them anyways. She was raped by some damned Death Eater, and yet she managed to keep herself alive and going, only to be brought down by a damned house fire!"

"And you shouldn't be here, making yourself completely and utterly miserable." Lily said, her voice soft as the tears began to fall. "Because the longer you do, the more her sacrifices were in vain."

"What?"

"Remus, she sacrificed her very life to get you out of that place, to keep you from being insurance to insure her continued cooperation with the Death Eaters and Voldemort. Now that you're away from them, you're still making yourself miserable." Lily said. "At least have the decency to live your life as best you can. She loved you more than her own life, and you know that if she saw you right now, she'd seriously hurt you for doing this to yourself, and to the rest of us. We want to help you, Remus. James and Sirius are on pin cushions around you. Peter is avoiding you because you snarl at him all the time. They want to make things easier, better. They...We want to help, but you keep pushing us away."

"Lily, I ....."

"We already lost Sable, Remus." Lily said, turning back to the portrait and climbing in, only to look back at him, tears still in her eyes. "Please don't let us loose you as well. We couldn't handle that." With that last plea, Lily shut the portrait hole with a soft click, leaving Remus to think about what she had said.

Needless to say, a few hours later, Remus finally managed to open the door that held the back stock of potions, only to find a whole shelf lined with dose after dose of the Wolfsbane potion Sable had bottled and stored away. And a few days later, he downed the dosage needed to keep him from inflicting harm on either him, or the rest of his friends.

It seemed that little talk with Lily had helped to snap Remus out of the self induced depression he had been in. By the time the full moon was over, the next big occasion was N.E.W.T.S. Lily and James, as well as Sirius and Peter, had helped him to get caught up on the work he had missed while he had been holed up in Sable's room away from anyone else. He started going back to class and participating again.

Remus was back on the right path to becoming the same old Moony that they had known before Sable had disappeared. He even helped with the latest prank on the Slytherins. Things actually seemed to be doing better. Of course, they all had their up days and their down days, but things were slowly starting to work their way out.

By the time N.E.W.T.S. rolled around, Remus was feeling better. He knew that the lack of studying on his part would greatly affect his scores on the tests, but it had not really bothered him that much. All in all, the closer the end of the year came, the more it seemed things would even themselves out.

_A/N - Okay, I know some of you are probably thinking that I am rushing this along a bit. I'll agree with you completely, I am. But I hope it isn't all that bad, I really do. _

_Anyway, the next chapter is the last. But, don't worry, I think I've wrapped up all the loose ends._

_Later,_

_A.A._


	45. Chapter 45

_Disclaimer- It's not mine. It never was. I just borrowed it in order to write this story._

_A/N -Okay, last chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this story. It took me nearly a year to complete and post, but I will be going back and fixing some errors here and there that I've found. Okay, no more rambling from me. _

_Later,_

_A.A._

Chapter 45

The Commencement exercises for Hogwarts's seventh years, were not as joyous as they normally were. The majority of the seventh year students were subdued and quiet during an occasion that usually called for joy and happiness. The Great Hall, the location where the graduation ceremony would be held, was decorated festively with the House colors. A large table had been set aside where all the graduating students would sit until the presentation of the diplomas, and then they would return to their House tables to be with their Housemates.

Things went smoothly for the majority of the ceremony, but anyone who looked close enough could tell that the student's hearts just weren't into it, especially the seventh years. Lily and James gave the regulatory speeches and then sat down. After Dumbledore and McGonagall presented the diplomas, Dumbledore had something to say.

_Flashback_

_ Dumbledore looked across the sea of student faces as he took the center stage after the presentation of the diplomas. _

_ "Another year has come and gone." he said gravely. "And during this year, we have seen many changes in the world around us. A new evil is growing, and we must band together to fight it. Our world is beginning to be overrun by power hungry men and women who want to purify the ties that wizards and witches hold with the Muggle world. Already, one of your classmates has fallen victim to these murderers. As you leave the Hall today, remember the person that Sable Robbins was. The young woman who always had a smile on her face no matter what. _

_ We can all learn from her examples. She did not give into the evil forces that surrounded her during a time of adversity, despite what they threatened her with. Remember to stay true to yourselves, your friends, and your loved ones as these next few years approach. _

_ This years graduating class has undoubtedly been the brightest that has graced these halls in many years. And I know that each and every one of you will find your place in the world, and prosper to do what you want. Always remember, however, that Hogwarts will be a sanctuary should you ever need it." _

_ End Flashback_

A remembrance was held for Sable at the end. As the actual graduation came to a close, Remus clutched the piece of parchment in his had, wishing for things to be over with. He was tired and the mention of Sable only made things worse because he knew that she should have been there with him and the others, celebrating and getting ready to go back home.

It had been a little over two months since the attack on the mansion, and Sable's disappearance. The Ministry had found evidence that Sable and her parents bodies had been found in the dungeons of the mansion, and the necklace that she had been wearing had been wearing had found its way back to Remus one morning a few weeks ago.

_Flashback_

_ A week after the attacks, Remus and the others were sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast one morning. It was a Sunday morning, and there was nothing really going on around the school. Most people were studying for N.E.W.T.S., while others were using the time to relax from the classes. _

_ The morning post came in and a small owl fluttered down to land in front of Remus, a small brown package attached to its leg._

_ "Expecting something, Moony?" Sirius asked, taking a letter from his own owl. _

_ "I don't know." Remus asked, looking at the package curiously. "I wasn't expecting anything from my mum or dad._ _Wonder what it is?"_

_ "Open it up and see."_ _Lily said. "Only way to find out." Remus shrugged and opened the small brown package. As he opened the box, a small note fell out and he picked it up._

_ Mr. Lupin,_

_ This was found in the rubble of the mansion. It was identified as Meadow Robbins, and the Minister was informed that you were probably the holder of the matching emblem. As such, we are returning it to you. If you are not the owner, then please send it back and we will attempt to find the rightful owner._

_Sincerely,_

_ Ministry of Magic Investigation Department_

_ Remus pulled the tissue like packing paper back and put his hand in the box, pulling out the necklace he had given her that night in the Forbidden Forest. The very same one that the sprites had placed around her neck while he looked on in his wolf form. _

_ It was the same one alright, the very shell that the sprites had told him searched out its matching partner. The mix of amber, blue, and purple stones intertwined along the chain-like rope, along with the smooth white shells that were mixed in, caused a rush of sadness to overcome him as he remembered how much she had worn it. The tear-drop shell hung from the very center, still pulsating wave after wave of magical energy as it searched for its partner shell. Remus only frowned and put the necklace and note into his pocket. It was true that Sable had given him the other tear-drop shell, and he knew that the shell would continue to pulsate the magical waves until it was reunited with its partner. _

_ Shaking his head, Remus had stood from the table, his breakfast barely eaten, and left without a word to his friends. He had disappeared for the most of the day, but James and Sirius had used the Marauder's map to find him down by the lake. _

_End Flashback_

Ever since then, Remus had started on the road to recovery. It had taken a while to get him to accept the fact that Sable was gone, or so everyone had assumed. But things had started to get back to normal. They had taken the N.E.W.T.S. and gotten the test scores back. Lily and James had been in the top ten percentile, with Sirius not to far behind them. Remus, due to the lack of interest in school -and practically anything else since the attack- had scored lower than he normally would have, but it had not really bothered him.

Now that the ceremony was actually over with, Remus was trying get back up to the dorm so that he could finish some last minute packing, but it seemed as though everybody and their mother was keeping him from getting up there. They were leaving tomorrow morning on the train to go back to Platform 9 3/4, and he wanted to pack a few more things before it was all over with. Unfortunately, it seemed as though James, Sirius, and Lily were taking his somewhat good mood for granted and keeping him busy in the Great Hall after the dinner.

It had been almost a two months since the attack on the mansion, and things had started to calm down at the school. Remus and the others still ached to see Sable one more time, but things had been getting better. They were starting to move on with their lives, and plan for the future. James had taken the whole 'planning for the future' idea a little to far, and asked Lily to marry him right in front of the Great Hall after graduation. The flustered girl had been speechless for so long that Sirius had started poking fun at her.

Of course, she had accepted, and the entire school had breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing that the fiery red head had met her match in James Potter. Remus and Sirius had already known about the intended proposal, and been right there to see the look of utter surprise on Lily's face. Bella had not been too far away either. Remus had been happy for the two of them, truly happy for them, and joined in the celebrations along with the teachers and students.

Remus opened the door to Sable's bedroom and sat down on the bed, taking comfort in the fading scent of his girlfriend. The ceremony had ended a few hours ago, and Remus had returned to the calm of Sable's lab to gather his wits, and say his final goodbyes to her. He had refused to majorly tamper with the room, asking Dumbledore to wait until the school had cleared out before doing anything to it. As such, everything was still the same as it had been when they had left for Easter break two months ago. The only thing Remus had touched was her stock of Wolfsbane potion. He had already taken the many bottles of the potion she'd had packed away, knowing he would need them in the coming months. He had already used up two of the many bottles during the last two changes, but he still had enough to last for a while.

He sat down on the bed and stretched out, taking comfort in the familiar feel of her comforter. The day had been long and drawn out, and he really did not feel like dealing with anything else at the moment. He had left the other Marauders and Lily in Gryffindor Tower, partying the time away. It was nearing midnight, and his eyes were slowly drifting shut. It wasn't long before he finally dozed off.

He was woken up to the feel of a cool shill running down his back. He moaned and rolled over, believing himself to be in a dream. Half of his mind was still asleep, but the other part -the wolfish part that was beginning to emerge because of the coming full moon- told him that there was someone or something else in the room with him.

"Remus." Called an eerily familiar voice quietly. "Wake up, love." Remus sat bolt upright in the bed upon hearing the familiar female voice so close to him.

"Sable?" he stuttered, rubbing his eyes in disbelief as they focused on the ghost-like form across the room from him. "Sable? What the Hell? Am I dreaming?" The vision across from him only smiled, putting her hands behind her back and looking down, almost as though embarrassed. Remus stood up and walked towards the silvery-white specter, not sure that he was believing his own eyes. It was Sable's ghost.

"You're not dreaming, love." she said, smiling slightly as she looked up at him. "It's really me. Well....kind of."

"But, how.....why now?" Remus asked, shaking his head in utter confusion. "Merlin, I've missed you so much."

"I'm afraid I can't answer the how or why." she said sadly. "But I've missed you too."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I've been keeping watch over you and the others." she said. "I've seen what's been going on, and I just wanted you to know that...well that I love all of you so much. And that I'm sorry for causing all of you so much pain. I...I didn't know it would be like this if something happened to me." Remus looked at her and shook her head in utter confusion. The ghost lowered her head and shrugged. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't realize how much this would hurt everyone. If I had, I would have done something different."

"You done what you thought was right, Sable." Remus said. "That's all anyone could have done in our situation."

"Thank you, Remus." she said. "I needed to hear that."

"How did you get out?" Remus asked. "Or, did you get out?"

"Believe it or not, someone pulled me out of the fire, but the smoke was too much." she said contritely. "I...I..."

"Smoke inhalation." Remus said, nodding, understanding what had happened.

"Yes." She answered. "My body was brought to the American Department of Magic, along with that of my parents. That's why no bodies were found in the rubble."

"Buy why'd you come back now?" Remus asked. "Are you going to haunt Hogwarts as a ghost now?" The ghost gave a small smile at the sliver of hope in his voice and shook her head sadly.

"Why do I have a feeling that you'd refuse to leave here if I said yes to that question?" she teased. Remus grinned and shrugged. "But no, I'm not. I was only allowed a little time to come back, just to say my goodbyes to you. After that....well, I'll be gone."

"How much longer have you got?" Remus asked quickly.

"Ten, fifteen, maybe twenty minutes at the max." she said shrugging. "So, I don't have much time left. Listen to me carefully, Remus. I want you to focus on what's ahead of you. Don't get depressed because of what happened. There are many things coming up that you and the others will nee to stick together to get through."

"Sable. I don't want to let you go." He said. "I love you so much."

"I love you as well, Remus." The specter said. "But things are different now. Don't live your life in the past, especially because of me. Please don't drag yourself down because of me. I've seen what you've done the past few months since I've been gone, and I don't want you to do that to yourself on account of me. Promise me that you'll do what you can to get on with your life."

"Are you asking me to forget everything that's happened?" he asked.

"No. I'm asking you to put the past behind you, and live your life as best you can."

"I don't want to leave you behind." he said. "You shouldn't be alone." The specter smiled, and rubbed the side of her stomach absently.

"I wasn't alone then." she said. "And I'm not alone now. I'll be fine."

"Take me with you?" Remus asked.

"I can't do that, Remus." She said sadly. "You don't belong with me now. You belong with James and the others." Remus and Sable fell silent for a moment before Remus asked his next question.

"What's it like? Being dead, I mean?" he asked. Sable's ghost smiled and cocked her head to the side, trying to formulate an answer.

"It's like nothing else I'd ever felt before." she said. "It's like a cool feeling of release."

"You're not hurting?"

"No." she answered. "I'm peaceful." Remus looked at the girl a little closer. She looked no different than Nearly Headless Nick, or any of the other House ghosts. She was as transparent as they were, but he could see the outlines of the clothes she had more than likely been buried in, blue jeans, a t-shirt, and a black cloak. He walked forward and reached out to touch her face, only to have his had pass right through her with only a tingly, cool feeling.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah." Remus said. "It does." They remained silent for a while, only to be brought back to reality with the clanging of the clock striking midnight.

"It's time for me to go, love." she said sadly. "It's midnight."

"Midnight?" he asked. "This is like a very messed up version of Cinderella."

"Cinderella, huh?" Sable chuckled. "I don't know about that, but I guess it's close enough." The specter smiled and reached out to touch Remus, only to have her hand pass through him. "Just think, Remus. Cinderella and her prince lived happily ever afer. You never know, it might work for you too."

"What can I do?" he asked.

"Live your life to the fullest." she said. "Live it like every day, every second, is you last. Don't put yourself in a position to regret not doing something you really want to."

"Is that it?" Remus asked.

"Hmm? Yep. I think so." she said, grinning at him. "I've passed on the worldly wisdom like I was supposed to. So no more of me trying to tell you what to do. I love you, Remus, and don't forget that."

"How could I?" he asked. "Its not possible."

"I know, love." she said. "Just remember that I'm watching over you, always. Think of it as your own personal guardian angel." And with that, the specter slowly began to rise up through the stone ceiling, looking down at Remus, a sad smile on her face. "Look in the drawer next to my bed and take out my journal. I want you to read some of the things in there."

"Sable! Please come back!" he cried. "Please."

"I'm sorry, Remus." She said, tears starting to roll down her face. "I can't come back now. My responsibilities are just beginning."

"But..."

"Goodbye, love." she said. "I love you dearly." Remus shook his head and dropped to his knees as the ghostly figure disappeared through the ceiling completely, one small drop of water falling down to the floor in front of him.

"Come back to me, please." he begged quietly.

"The journal, Remus." Her voice echoed. "Read the journal." Remus stood from the floor and walked over to the drawer, pulling out her leather bound journal and flipping to the most recent entries. He had not read in her journal, knowing that she kept everything in that book.

_March 21_

_ Things have been getting better, thank Merlin. Momma and Daddy are back at work, and on the verge of cracking some of the Death Eater cases. Those stupid attacks have been increasing like crazy. I don't know what this Voldemort guy wants. It's not like us mix-blooded witches and wizards are hurting anything by being here. Hell, if there were no Muggle/Magical interaction, most pureblooded children would be a bunch of inbred idiots! You need fresh blood in the family tree to keep it sprouting, know what I mean? _

The entry went on to talk about a whole lot of stuff that really did not amount to much of anything. It was just Sable rambling on paper instead of real life. He flipped to the next page and began reading.

_March 23_

_ I just finished another batch of Wolfsbane potion. The full moon is coming up soon, right before we leave for Easter break, and I know Remus and my mum and dad will need it. As usual, the attacks on the Muggle-born people are still on the rise. I'm starting to wonder if Voldemort and his Death Eaters will try to capture me or my family again, to use as bait or something. _

_ Mom told me a little of what she could remember when they caught her, and all I can say is that I never want to have to go through that. I just hope nothing ever happens to me. There are still nights that I wake up with nightmares from when Remus and I were attacked during Christmas, and when we saw the Death Eaters in the Forbidden Forest that one night. I'm absolutely terrified that something will happen to the people I love. All I do know is that if something happens to me, I want my family and my friends, and especially Remus, to be strong and go on. I don't want them to hurt themselves because of me. It would kill me inside knowing that they would forgo what is important in their own lives because of something that happened to me._

_ Well, with the way I've been working lately, I know if anything does happen, and the Wolfsbane potion is not passed, then Remus, mum and dad, have enough potion to last them for a good while. (More like two or three years!) Maybe by then, the Ministry will have legalized it, and they will be able to brew it without having to worry about being persecuted. I just want them to know that the potion is there for them to take. I didn't make it to hog it all to myself, cause Merlin knows I don't need it. I want them to have it._

_ Ever since I figured out an alternate ingredient to my own blood, it seems as though the potion works even better. That's right! I figured out how to mix up certain herbs to get the same affect as my blood. So, that means no more cutting my hands to bleed my self dry! Hahahahaha! I'm making us sound like vampires and not werewolves. Remus would crawl me if he ever found out about that._

Remus grinned and nodded, remembering how Sable had accused him of being a vampire one day when she had nicked her hand while cutting up some potions ingredients, and he had licked it off her finger. Sable had made a disgusted face, but he had only shrugged and grinned at her, saying that he already drank a potion that had her blood in it, what's the difference.

He turned the page and went to the next entry. He scanned over it and frowned. She must have had a lot on her mind when she had wrote this entry, because it covered almost three pages of the journal, front and back. He scanned over it until his eyes picked up Peter's name.

_March 30_

_ I just got a letter from daddy. It seems as though things are picking up again. They found another Death Eater around the town he and momma are working in. But that is not why I'm worried. I told Remus, Peter, James, Lily, and Sirius at breakfast, and they had the normal reactions, everyone except Peter. _

_ I might have been imagining things, but he seemed kind of peeved when I mentioned the Death Eater's name, Brennan Green. He just looked like he was mad about something. I don't know what it was, but something just didn't set right with him for the rest of breakfast. You know, come to think of it, mom and dad said that they got a funny feeling around Pete as well that day that we all went to the hospital when they had finally woken up. Momma said it was almost like she remembers seeing him in the little flashbacks she has of when the Death Eaters captured her and dad._

_ I told mom that she was nuts, that Peter would not have anything to do with Voldemort or anyone remotely related to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But, now that I think about it, Voldemort HAD said that there was a spy in Hogwarts who was keeping watch on me, and informing his underlings of what I was doing. Hell, at first, I thought it might have been Avery, or even Flint, maybe even Snape, but.........I don't know anymore. I know it's crazy, but Pete seems to be changing right in front of our eyes. He pops out and stays gone for hours at a time. He left for Christmas while the rest of us were here. I don't know......hmph! I'm probably just sending my imagination into overdrive. _

_ Peter wouldn't hurt us...........but then again, Lily has noticed the slight changes as well. _

_ Merlin, the boys would call me mental for writing this, suspecting Peter of betraying us, but somehow, it just doesn't fell right......_

_ I've never been a girl who believed in superstitions before, but there is a saying that the Aurors have. _

_ 'Don't trust a rat.'_ __

_And for some reason, I'm starting to understand why they say that........._

Remus looked down at the paper and frowned. _'Peter? A spy?'_ he thought. _'I think she was right. Her imagination was starting to run away with her.'_ He shook off the uneasy feeling and turned to the last entry, noticing the date was April 4, the night before the full moon before Eater break.

_April 4_

_ Well, the full moon is tomorrow night, and then we get out for Easter break. Merlin! I can't wait to get this over with. Studying for N.E.W.T.S. is driving me batty! Lily is a such a slave driver when it comes to studying. I swear that girl should have been put into Ravenclaw when she was sorted our first year. No one, and I mean no one, should have that kind of relationship with books. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like school and everything, but I think poor James is getting jealous of the time she's spending with her nose in the books, instead of with him._

_ I know Sirius is. Arabella has been so wrapped up in studying that she's practically blown the poor boy off every time he goes to talk to her. Although from what I hear, Sirius is planning to remedy that problem here soon, in his own way. I can only wonder what that boy has up his sleeve. _

_ Anyways, on to more pleasing topics. Remus and I are taking off to go to my house for Easter break. Momma and Dad said that he could go, and I'm glad. It'll be good to get away from Hogwarts for awhile, even if it is only for a week. I don't know what we'll do, since mom and dad will probably be at work the most of the time. I don't know, Sirius is going home with James, so they'll be right down the road, we'll see what we can get into while we're home._

After finishing the article, Remus sat on the bed and stared at the floor. He had learned so much more about Sable by reading her journal. He hadn't realized that she was so full of conflicting ideas and thoughts. _'There always was more to her than she let on.'_ he thought wryly, closing the book and standing up.

Reading the journal entries seemed to make him feel better somehow. It was like a sort of burden was lifted, knowing that Sable had been worried about endangering him and her family, and knowing that she would not have changed what she had done, no matter what the circumstances.

"Even after all this, you still continue to amaze me, love." he said, a small smile on his face. "If you ever did stop, I'd be worried." He stood up from the bed and looked around one last time, noticing the open door to her lab. He walked to the door and looked around her work space.

The tables in the lab were still set up, with the cauldrons sitting on them, even though there was nothing in them. Her cutting tools were still sitting in the containers of germicide that kept them sanitized. The doors to her back stock of potions was closed tightly, as was the doors to the many potions ingredients. Her books were stacked up at a small table over in the corner where they had sat and done homework many times during the year. Everything was as it should have been, minus the fact that she wasn't there. He stepped back and shut the door securely, not bothering to lock it.

He turned and looked around her bedroom, taking in the surroundings. Her bed was still the same as ever, with the red bed dressings on them, and her stuffed wolf that one of the little kids had given her for Christmas. Her dresser still held her pictures and a few knick-knacks that she had acquired. There were still a few pieces of her clothing hanging on the back of the chairs, or on the floor. Just like the laboratory. Everything was as it should have been, except for the fact that she was not there.

Remus smiled one last time and walked over to the portrait of Agrippa on the wall that hid the passageway to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Your friend is resting peacefully." the portrait of the lady said, a small knowing smile on her face. "I too lost someone dear to me during my lifetime. Words cannot express the sorrow, but life goes on. And I know that Ms. Robbins would not want you to squander your life."

"I know." Remus said, nodding in agreement as he opened the portrait and stepped into the darkened corridor, Sable's journal securely under his arm. He pulled the portrait shut and began his ascent back up to Gryffindor Tower, where his friends were waiting on him. "I know that now."

The next morning broke clear as the students awoke and readied themselves for the trip home. Everyone was packed and had eaten breakfast, and now they were lining up to get into the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade. Remus had come back to the Tower the night before in a much better mood than before. It was actually almost like having the old Remus back, and James, Sirius, and Lily were happy for that. Now, they were on their way to the Entrance Hall, and the boys were bickering about every little topic, pushing and shoving each other in the way that only a bunch of closely knit friends could do.

The boys bantering continued on until they reached the carriages. While James and Sirius were quibbling over who should get in first, Remus took a look back at the castle he had called home for so long. His eyes swept to the edges of the Forbidden Forest and he sighed. _'All those adventure.'_ he thought. He watched as more and more students came out of the school, laughing and smiling at the thought of getting to go home for the summer months. He was about to climb into the carriage when a sudden flash of white caught his eye.

He shook his head as he felt his heart speed up and lurch in his chest. Squinting along the tree line of the forest, he froze as a white wolf came out of the shadows and sat on it's haunches, staring straight at him. Behind him, someone pushed him roughly, making him loose eye contact with the beautiful creature so close to the forest.

"What are you staring at, Lupin?" sneered Severus Snape as he pushed by the transfixed boy. "What's got you so transfixed that you've forgotten the normal function of walking like any normal human being?"

"Sable..." he whispered, looking at the Slytherin Prefect, a wide eyed expression on his face.

"What are you babbling about, Lupin?" Snape questioned. "That witch is gone for good."

"No." Remus said, looking back towards the forest line, and seeing the white wolf there, still watching them. "Look, Snape!"

Snape careened his eyes towards the forest and blanched white when he saw the creature sitting there, as natural as can be. He actually started quaking in his shoes as the wolf seemed to nod at them.

"Bloody hell!" he said, the air gone from his lungs temporarily, until he remembered that he was not supposed to know that Sable was a werewolf. _'She never told him that I know.' _Snape thought, wondering why she hadn't told him. _'Why didn't she tell him?'_

"It's a blasted wolf, Lupin!" Snape growled, feigning annoyance, although he was terrified. "I'd have figured you would know what it was, seeing as how you are so familiar with the filthy creatures." The wolf stood and walked a little closer to the school, but still not close enough for anyone to make out any distinguishable marks. From the distance the she-wolf was at, it was impossible to tell if it was a werewolf, or just a white wolf, but it was possible to tell that whatever it was, the wolf was a female.

As if answering some unspoken call, the she-wolf raised her muzzle and let a haunting howl permeate the air, causing more than one student to stop their talking and turn towards the forest line. Inside the carriage, James and Sirius froze in their arguing and looked out the open door, while Lily clutched Remus' shirt sleeve in surprise.

"What the Hell?" James asked, his eyes coming to rest on the white wolf.

"Bloody Hell!" Sirius gaped.

"Oh, my! Sable!" Lily said. The wolf let out another cry as the Marauders, Lily and a few other students watched, including Snape, who had suddenly become much paler than even before. Dumbledore, who had been standing at the great double doors of the school, came down the steps, looking towards the forest with a small, knowing smile on his face, and a slight twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Professor?" Remus croaked, turning to the headmaster. "Is that..."

"Well, I'll be." Dumbledore said, a smile on his face. "It seems as though she had decided to show herself. What a pleasant surprise."

"Excuse me?" Remus asked, looking back towards the forest.

"Ladriel." he said offhandedly. "It was believed that when this school was founded, a young wood nymph named Ladriel was changed into a white she-wolf by Rowena Ravenclaw because Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor had both fallen in love with her. In order to get the men to focus on what they had to do for the school, Ravenclaw changed the young girl, who never loved neither of them to begin with, into a wolf. The nymphs paramour was so upset that he died of a broken heart.

Ladriel, sad because of what had happened, became sort of like a messenger of the deceased. It is legend that Ladriel only appears when the loved ones of a deceased person have finally come to terms with what has happened, and is ready to move on in life. It is rare for her to draw such attention to herself, let alone come out into the open as such. You should be proud. I believe this is Ms. Robbins final farewell to all of you, and her way of saying that she is fine, wherever she may be." Remus continued to seem completely awed at the explanation. And when the white wolf seemed to nod at him, as though confirming Dumbledore's words, he knew in his heart, that Sable was fine wherever she was.

When Dumbledore finished his speech, the wolf stood up and looked at the students one last time before slowly backing into the forest. When her body was gone, Dumbledore turned to the gathered students, a smile on his face.

"She is at peace, children." He said. "You needn't worry about her any longer."

"Thank you, Professor." Remus said after a few minutes, stepping into the carriage. "For everything." The old man only nodded and watched as the werewolf climbed into the carriage and rode out of sight, a small knowing twinkle in his eyes, and a smile on his face, knowing that Sable had indeed said her final goodbyes to her friends, but not forever.

Snape and some of the other Slytherin students seemed more terrified than anything, and quickly climbed into the carriages, not looking back towards the dark shadows that were in the forest. It was only a few moments longer until the carriages jerked forward, and the students were on their way to Hogsmeade, and subsequently, on their way home.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the forest, a young girl with black hair stood, watching from the shadows as the carriages disappeared from sight. She sighed and placed a hand on her waist, wincing as it came into contact with the mark there, as well as the lurch that came from the inside.

"Live your life, my love." she whispered, turning to walk back into the dense forest, a white she-wolf at her side. "And maybe our story will one day have a happy ending as well. Until then, goodbye, and good luck. I'll always be watching you. But right now, I'm afraid that I cannot be with you for, I fear for the lives of people dear to all of us. I am sorry, Remus. But I will always love you. Goodbye."

_A/N - Okay, and that is it. And before anyone flames me for the ending, I'm telling you now._

_THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL!!! -If anyone is interested in knowing.- I don't know how long it will be before I get it started, but here is the synopsis:_

_Sable is brought back to England by Dumbledore during Harry and the gang's sixth year. She is inducted into the Order, and Remus, Snape, and a few other people get some major surprises. They also find out exactly how Sable managed to get out of the mansion and keep herself alive, along with a my take on a whole lot of stray ideas in the Harry Potter books._

_So, let's recap, shall we?_

_Sable is not dead, (the little ghost that Remus seen was NOT her real ghost!) she's just not letting anyone see her for reasons that will be revealed in the sequel to this story (should I ever get around to writing it). _

_Dumbledore knows that she is not dead, but is not saying anything for reasons that will also be explained in the sequel. _

_In other words, just hang in there, people. I think you'll like what is going to happen._

_Later,_

_A.A._

_P.S. Please remember to review. I really want to know what everyone thought about this story. It's the longest one that I have ever written, and it's my baby. So I want to know what you think. (Even if it is a flame for leaving the story off at this point. I'll completely understand, and will not take offense to it.)_

_ Later. _

_Avonnalay-Ariemay_

_-Fin May 23, 2004-_


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